


Because I Care

by MelyndaR



Series: Through the Flames Series [1]
Category: Courageous (2011)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-06
Updated: 2015-01-05
Packaged: 2018-03-06 07:33:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 28
Words: 33,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3126251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelyndaR/pseuds/MelyndaR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because I care, I wrote him a note. This is that and everything that happened afterward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Fifteen year old Jade Hayes barely glanced at the too small, too formal, casket that held Emily Mitchell. Her younger brother, Jackson, was a welcome distraction in her arms. It was rather disturbing that someone so obviously young, sweet, and innocent could die – was dead.

Jade looked back down at the casket of the girl that she didn't really know and her arms tightened involuntarily around Jackson. She moved forward, towards Corporal Mitchell, his wife, and their son.

* * *

Dylan Mitchell watched numbly as Officer Hayes daughter tightened her hold on her baby brother. She moved forward and as Officer Hayes shook Dylan's dad's hand, and Mrs. Hayes enfolded his mom in a comforting hug, the girl turned towards him.

"I'm sorry about your little sister." She told him softly. She looked back at her brother, who huddled behind their dad, adding, "I don't know what I'd do if I lost one of my brothers."

He didn't answer just then and she moved away.

* * *

As Jade turned away from her grieving peer, she was only barely close enough to hear him whisper, "You'd cry when no one was around and wish that you had been a better sibling."

Even so, she didn't think it was a comment that he had meant for her to hear.

Making sure he could hear her, she offered, "I'll be praying for you and your family."

* * *

Corporal Mitchell's son, she'd learned from her father that his name was Dylan, continued to haunt her thoughts over the course of the next few weeks. She wished that there was something she could think of doing for him.

Eventually she voiced the thought to her mother.

"He's coming back to school tomorrow isn't he?" Kayla Hayes asked her daughter.

"Yeah."

"So just write him a note or something. You would be surprised at just how much starting the day off knowing that someone cares will brighten the whole day up."

"You want me to actually hand him the note? What if I embarrass him? Or myself?"

"Well, then slip it into his locker or something like that. If you're that concerned, you don't even have to sign your name."

"That's a good idea, Mama! Thank you!"

Jade hopped off the barstool and dashed into her bedroom. She took out a notebook from her desk and stared at the array of ink pens in the desk. She ended up choosing her favorite color – jade. She sat down cross-legged on her bed and stared at the blank piece of notebook paper.

Now she "just" had to decide what to write. She picked up her Bible from her side table and flipped to the New Testament, scanning the book of Matthew. She stopped at chapter two and verse eighteen: "In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."

That was what the Mitchells were going through, and how they were responding. But Jade instinctively knew that that was not what the bubbly girl in the photographs would want.

Jade carefully copied the verse onto her notebook paper using her best handwriting. Under that, she wrote the reference, and wrote her thought, " _Sometimes I watched Emily when I was sitting behind her in church. She was always smiling and laughing. Do you think she would like seeing you like this? I'm still praying for you and your family._ "

It wasn't what she had set out to write, but still…

Jade didn't sign it. Instead, she drew a simple robe and halo, like angels wore in all of the pictures. Then she folded it in fourths.

* * *

And that was exactly how Dylan found it in his locker the next morning. He took it home with him, reading and rereading it.

At first, it had been a wakeup call. The writer of the note was right. This wasn't what his sister would want. She would want happiness: for him, for their parents, and for everyone.

However, by Wednesday afternoon, he was harboring an ever-growing curiosity. Just who had written the note? He knew three things about the writer by studying the note.

It was a girl. What self-respecting guy drew an angel's outfit, using sparkly ink no less?

She went to his school – after all, it had been placed in his locker during school hours.

She sat in the row behind him and his parents in church, and since Baptists religiously sat in the same pew week after week, this was a pretty big clue. It narrowed down his list to two people.

Mary Glenn and Jade Hayes. Mary was a senior, and she hadn't said a handful of words to him in the entire time she had known him – which was his whole life. He'd known Jade for a much shorter period of time, but she still seemed like the more likely candidate.

He began to think on the best way to contact her back. She obviously didn't want to talk face to face, not that he was good at that sort of thing any way, but he wanted to thank her all the same.

Finally it hit him. Just write her back! But how to get it to her? He sat tapping his pencil against his notebook on his desk, puzzling over this problem. Slowly the idea formed.

The girl had admitted that she watched Emily during church, so if he put a letter on the back of Emily's seat, where she could see it, would she get it? He thought so.


	2. Chapter 2

Jade noticed the note halfway through the mid-week church service later that night. By the time that the church service was over, that note was driving Jade crazy. Although there was nothing to indicate one way or the other, Jade felt sure that it had been placed there for her.

She grabbed the folded piece of paper as soon as the church service was over. When she opened it, the first thing that she read was: "& let the peace of God rule in your heart, … & be ye thankful. Colossians 3:15." What surprised her most was the short message that followed and the fact that he addressed her by name.

"To Jade Hayes: Thank you for your note. It helped my mind set more than you'd think. You're right in what you said about my sister. Thank you. Dylan"

* * *

Dylan barely got a glance of Jade as he left the church house with his parents. She was eagerly reading the few words than he'd written. He was glad he had written her back.

And that should have been it, that should have been all there was to the story, no more. But it wasn't. Though it was a turning point in Dylan's grief, in his healing, that wasn't anything but the beginning in all that was to transpire between them.

* * *

The house was usually as quiet as, well, death since Emily's passing. It was hard try and move on with such an obvious cloud over the entire house, but Dylan was still trying and for the most part, he was succeeding. It was made all the harder by the fact that Dylan had seen his parents crying for his sister, openly heartbroken, in her bedroom. They were just sitting on the floor in her purple bedroom, weeping, their heartbreak in a startling contrast with the sunny room full of the stuffed animals that Emily had loved.

The sight upset Dylan enough that he darted silently past and into his own bedroom. He locked the door behind himself and hurriedly started up a video game. He needed something visual to distract him from the mental image of his sobbing parents. He plugged in his headphones so he could eliminate the chances of hearing them.

A few minutes later, his dad let himself into the room and tried to talk to him. Dylan, though, was still too shaken, although it had gotten to the point of numbness. He ended up telling his dad that Adam didn't need him, and could he go back to his video game now?

As soon as the door had closed behind Adam, Dylan tore his headphones back off and hurled the video game controller across the room towards the television. He laced up his running shoes and did the one thing he had found helped keep his own grief at bay: he grabbed his MP3 player and went for a run.

* * *

The next time his parents broke down it was in the middle of the night, that very night no less. Dylan awoke to the heartbroken, and heartbreaking, question from his father, "How am I supposed to let her go?"

Dylan cursed the walls that seemed to get ever thinner and rolled over in his bed. His eyes fell onto his desk. Before he knew quite what he was doing, he had gathered his Bible, a notebook and a pencil, and was sitting at his desk, flipping on the desk lamp , and searching for a Scripture verse.

* * *

Jade was startled to find a note in her locker at school the next day. She stuffed it into a pocket in her jeans. She didn't have time to read it just then, and she wasn't able to find time until just before she went to bed.

The first thing she read was, "Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people. Isaiah 22:4" After this came the note . "I'm trying to be strong and heal, but it's hard not to cry myself when I see them doing just that, like I have twice today. I don't know why I'm writing this, I just needed to tell someone: I'm struggling. Dylan."

Two verses came quickly to mind, and Jade flipped through her Bible's concordance until she found them. She grabbed her notebook and copied down the verses, "Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. James 5:13a" and "Jesus wept. John 11:35".

She paused to shoot a prayer heaven-ward, and then put her pen to her paper.

"Dear Dylan, as I've said before, I'm praying for you and your family. So are my parents. Maybe you should pray too. And don't be afraid to cry. Even Jesus cried. If you're really hurting, maybe you should tell your parents about it. Let them be a part of this process with you. Heal together. Just an idea. Sincerely, Jade."

* * *

Dylan stared down at jade's note as the general hub that was the school hallways went on around him. She wanted him to tell his parents? Was she going crazy? All ready there? What planet was she from? What did she think his family was, a one-kid version of the Brady Bunch, everybody getting along with everybody, meshing just perfectly?

If that was so, she was a more than a world away from the truth.

And he knew without looking at the Bible story that Jesus had been crying because if their disbelief, not because of Lazarus's actual death.

He rolled his eyes and jammed the note deep inside his pants' pocket, slamming his locker door closed. But if it was so ineffective a note, why couldn't he get her words out of his head?

That night at home, he sat down to right her back. He was in a sour mood, and that was a fact that became obvious through his note.

"Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him; Jeremiah 22: 10a". "Dear Jade, if you would have bothered to know the story behind John 11:35, you would know that that's not why "Jesus wept". It was because they were hopeless in their faith. But thanks for trying. Dylan."


	3. Chapter 3

Jade arched her eyebrows over his responding note. It seemed he had missed the point of her note in its entirety. She hadn't been telling him to cry, she had been telling him it was okay to cry. That so far as she knew, that was a necessary part of the grieving process.

Yet she thought that maybe it was a good thing that he was paying close enough attention to what she wrote to contradict her. She might have a real chance here to help him.

The verses that she needed came to mind instantly, along with her own words. She wrote her reply and stuck it through one of the slats in his locker during lunch.

He couldn't refute these verses.

* * *

"To every  _thing there is_  a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up  _that which is_  planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; Ecclesiastes 3:1-4."

Dylan stared at those verses for a long time before he got around to reading Jade's own words - there was a lot of them - written underneath.

"You misinterpreted my meaning. You don't have to cry, but it is okay to. There is a time to cry, a time to grieve, and I believe that for you that time is now.

If people do cry over the loss of a friend or family member, why do they cry? Because they have no hope of seeing their family member/friend again. Because of their hopelessness. Because they forget that they are going to see that person again.

Jesus wept because of their hopelessness, you say. I say that grieving people cry for the same reason. Hopelessness.

But don't forget, Dylan, life isn't hopeless. We have hope of the afterlife. You'll see Emily again.

But for right now, we live here, on earth. And that means that we have to keep on living without her. You're going to be okay, I really believe that, and I think that somewhere inside yourself you do too. You'll smile again one day. Then someone will tell a joke and you'll hear laughter. Suddenly you'll realize that the laughter is yours. You're going to be all right.

If you ever want to actually talk to me, I'd be more than willing to listen and try to help wherever and whenever I can. I really mean that.

Sincerely,

Jade"

As she had after every note, Jade had drawn a small sketch. For this note, it was more of a letter really, she had chosen two hands with interlocking pointer fingers. It was the sign for "friends" in sign language.

He contemplated her offer to talk face to face, but really what did he have to say? So he wrote her back and put the note in her locker just after school let out.

"Dear Jade, again, you're right. I'm sorry I was so - you know, whatever you want to call it, in my last note. I'm not the only one trying to take steps to heal. My dad has met with Pastor Rodgers today, at least he said he would. A good way to get time to talk to me, at least for me, would be when I'm running in the neighborhood around where we live. I come by your house while I'm out running, so I know where you live. Bye for now, I guess. Dylan."

* * *

Nathan Hayes looked absent-mindedly around the shoe store that he had just entered with his fifteen year old daughter, Jade. She had been bugging him to take her to the mall for the past month and a half, sighting that she "needed" running shoes and that he was the best choice to help her find a good pair.

"Jade, sweetie, why the sudden interest in running?" he asked as he followed her down the aisle.

"I have been told that it is the best way to spend time with some new friends of mine." she replied, stopping to examine a pink pair of shoes. "What do you think of these?"

"That depends on how often or for how long at a time you intend to run. You may need thicker soles." He paused. "Hey, hold on a second. Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I thought I heard-"

"Corporal Mitchell!"

"Yeah."

"No, Daddy. Corporal Mitchell is over there."

"Hey, Adam!" Nathan waved Adam over.

He came smiling. "Hey, Nathan. Why hello, Jade. What are you two looking for today?"

"Jade wants running shoes." Nathan answered easily.

* * *

"Hey, Dad, I found the shoes I want." Dylan rounded the corner of the aisle, holding a pair of blue and white shoes.

Because he was looking at them instead of where he was going, he ran into some girl. No, not some girl.

"Sorry. Oh, Jade!"

"Dylan!"

"You two know each other?" Adam asked.

"Something like that." Dylan answered. "We talk a lot at school."

It was something of a half truth. They hadn't spoken two words since the funeral, but they had written and left notes daily, using their lockers when at school, the chair back when at church, and even texting on Saturdays. Yet he barely knew what her voice sounded like, and that was probably his fault. She had extended the invitation to talk, so didn't that mean that he was the one who had to take her up on it?

It was like a fun little game of theirs, really, for them and them alone, writing instead of talking. And when they wrote as often as they did, it was just as good as talking. They'd learned a lot about each other over the past six weeks.

Her favorite color was yellow. She liked English better than Math. She loved the works of the poet Emily Dickinson, and she'd rather have the flu than let anyone know that she had such a bookworm-ish inclination. She had written that he would suffer unspeakable consequences if he revealed that fact. And he completely believed her.

As a self-proclaimed loner, Dylan had very few friends. After Emily's death, those few friends had all fallen away, uncertain of how to talk to him. But he had come to consider Jade as a friend, his closest one at that. Was that strange? He thought probably so, but he really didn't care. It was what it was.

"Jade here is getting running shoes." his dad informed him merrily.

Dylan's eyebrows went up a miniscule amount and she turned towards his pen pal of sorts. "Really?"

He was surprised to see her blush a little. "Yeah. " She wrinkled her nose a little. "Some friends told me it was the best way to spend time with them."

"You know, I had the same thought about Dylan here." Adam said, slinging an arm around his son's shoulders.

"Really?" Jade said, trying to be conversational, Dylan guessed.

"Yup. If Dylan has what he came for, we're ready to go. Have you found what you wanted?"

"Not yet." Jade admitted. "I don't really know what I'm looking for."

"Do you want some help?" Dylan asked.

"Sure. That would be great." She looked at their fathers. "If that's okay."

"Yeah, sure." Both men waved them away.

Dylan stepped back and scanned the selection that the store offered. He didn't look toward her as he asked, "So who are you planning on running with?"

"Who do you think?" she asked cryptically.

"I don't know who runs in your social circles." he objected to the question.

"You. You asked me to run with you." she replied in exasperation.

He turned to her. "And your dad is really okay with you doing this?"

She glanced away from him, towards her shoes. "I'm sure that he would be."

Dylan smirked. "He doesn't know that it's me you're going to be running with."

It was a statement, not at all a question. He was a master at hiding things from parents, especially fathers, his anyway. And in that, he had, somewhere along the way, mastered the art of recognizing when others were hiding things from their parents.

The idea that she felt the need to hide their friendship, if you could even call it that, was a little unsettling though.

He angled away from their talking fathers, lowered his voice, and told Jade all of the thoughts that had just ran through his head.

"It's not really a big deal." jade hurried to assure him. "Daddy's just overprotective of me. Like with my boyfriend, Derek.

Dylan's eyebrows rose. "You have a boyfriend?"

Jade sighed. "It's complicated."

"Mom says that all of the best things in life are." he remarked.

"Anyway," Jade took a deep breath, obviously putting the conversation aside. "Running shoes."

"The kind I have here are the best in the store." he held up the pair that he had chosen for himself.

"Aren't those men's?"

"They're in the juniors', in the other aisle over. I'll show you."

She chose a pair of yellow and purple shoes of the same style as his and they reported back to their fathers, who were standing right where they had been left, talking about a gang in the area.

"Are you ready?" Nathan asked Jade.

"Yes, sir."

"What'd you find?"

Jade displayed her find and all four of them went up to the cash register to pay.

"I'll see you soon, Dylan." Jade promised as they exited the store.

"I'll be looking forward to it." He smiled at her.

As he did, he recalled the words of her note. Both Nathan and Adam froze as they looked at him. The teenagers pretended not to notice though, and kept right on going in opposite directions. He was looking forward to this, whatever "this" was.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Dylan was running toward her house, but not toward her house, when Jade took off running ahead of him the next evening. Until she knew what her parents thought of this arrangement, even though they were nothing but friends, she didn't want to get herself or Dylan in any trouble. So, via school lockers earlier that day, she had told him to catch up with her after they got out of sight of her house.

When he rounded the corner a minute later, he did just that.

"Hey." she greeted.

"Hey." he panted in return.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"Ah… good."

She looked at him. "Are you sure?"

Just because they hadn't technically talked to each other during school didn't mean that she hadn't ever noticed him there. She had found herself watching him whenever possible. It was strange, never having really talked to someone, yet feeling that you knew them so well. She had learned to read his expressions, his stance. There was something weighing on his mind.

"I, uh, kinda fell apart over dinner."

"What do you mean?"

"I guess that I took your advice. I sort of, uh, - how did you put it? - let my parents be a part of the process. Grieving process. I, um, ended up, uh," he rolled his eyes and then his head. "Added some extra salt to my pasta."

"And that's fine." she said when she understood his meaning.

She was getting tired of repeating herself, as she had been for the past weeks, but he needed to hear it until it got through his apparently thick skull. And it seemed that it had at last. He had cried, and opened up to his parents. That was real progress in her book.

"Yeah. I guess. It was weird. We were all laughing over this story that Dad had told us and then Mom mentioned the funeral kinda off-handedly, and then it just slipped out."

"It?"

"I said that I wish that I had been a better brother."

She paused, remembering hearing him say so at Emily's funeral as well. "You're a good guy, Dylan." she reminded him softly.

"So I've been told." he informed her quietly, if not a little awestruck.

"So, if I can ask this, what changed your mind?"

"You. Um. I was laughing and I remembered that you said that I eventually would in your letter, and then Dad asked me if I was okay, and it just sort of, slipped out. Because I was thinking about the letter."

They ran in silence for a long minute before he said quietly, "I want to thank you. For" he rolled his eyes, seeming to consider it all. "Everything. Everyone else ran from me like a house on fire. You - didn't. It means a lot. So thanks. For everything."

"It's fun. The letters, this." she gestured towards the road ahead of them. "And you're not so bad yourself."

He snorted softly. "Thanks."

"Any time. So, what's this hilarious story you mentioned?"

"Oh, my. Um, okay. Mr. Martinez, Shane - Officer Fuller, Dad's partner- , and Dad were going to lunch when Dad and Shane got called in to transport this guy to the jail…"

Later, as they got close to her house once more, Dylan took one look at her and started laughing.

"What?" she gasped out.

"You do realize that this is only half of my usual route that you ran with me, right?"

"So how far did I run?" she gasped.

"Just two and a half miles."

"Just!" she shrieked.

He burst out laughing unrepentantly, nodding.

"What are you - a marine?"

"Nope. As close to that as I ever get is firing my dad's gun. And that doesn't happen very often at all."

They stopped beside the curb, before they came into view of her house. "You are crazy."

He nodded, still smiling. "Yep. So when are you going to do this again?"

She screamed into the darkening sky, saying emphatically, "Never!"

He shook his head. "You buy the best shoes in the store and use them once? I didn't take you for a quitter. To quote a very wise girl, it gets easier as time goes on."

She smiled at the compliment. "Well, I guess I'll just have to try again tomorrow."

His smile widened. "I'll meet you in the same place?"

"Right here." she agreed.

"Great. I'll see you then. Good night."

"Good night." she replied, and turned to go.

"And hey," he added. "You did good. I thought this might be impossible for you."

"I'm always right." Jade replied with a grin and started running towards her house.

Dylan really needed to learn to wait before he opened his mouth over his musings, because she heard him whisper, "Yeah. Yeah, you are."

* * *

David Thomson wasn't the type to forget the chance to tease a friend, but after Adam talking about his resolution, David almost forgot about telling Dylan what he had seen the night before. It took Dylan appearing in the yard after Shane had left to jog his memory.

"Mom asked me to come get your dishes." Dylan explained his presence and the five men wiling forked over the items.

"Here." David stood up and took a few of the plates from him. "That looks like a lot. Let me help."

Dylan looked confused but accepted the offer, though there was nothing he could do about it by now. "Okay."

When the two were far enough away from both the other men and the house, in the middle of the yard, David asked, "So who was that girl you ran by my house with last night?"

Dylan choked. "What?" he rasped.

"Girl." A smile crept slowly across David's face. "Who's the girl you ran by my house with last night?"

"What girl?" Dylan took a step forward, towards the house, trying to act confused.

"Unt-uh." David repositioned the plates he held and grabbed the teenager's arm. "The girl who looked an awful lot like Nathan's daughter."

A cornered look flashed through Dylan's eyes. "Nathan's daughter? Jade?"

David nodded. "Yeah. Jade. That name sounds about right. Was it her?"

"How do you know it wasn't a guy with dread-locks?"

David snorted. "Purple shoes, new ones at that, not somebody's hand-me-downs, a pink camo shirt, and pink pants. You tell me how I know."

"You couldn't tell it was Jade."

"So it was."

"I didn't say that!"

"Close enough. And, besides, Nathan told me about those shoes. The ones I saw your running partner wearing."

"Look, she all ready has a boyfriend, okay? It's no big deal. We're just friends."

"Famous last words." David laughed, moving on towards the house.

"Didn't I mention that she all ready has a boyfriend?" Dylan repeated, walking along beside him.

"I thought Nathan didn't want her to date?"

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't even want her around boys to begin with."

"Ouch."

"David, man, please. She's like the only friend I have right now."

"Your secret's safe with me. Although, I know Nathan would ask this, and I think it's a good idea. What's the purpose of the relationship?"

"Purpose?" he yelped. "You're insane!" The other three men glanced over at the two of them, and Dylan lowered his voice. "She. Has. A. Boyfriend."

"So?"

"So she's a friend.  _Just_ a friend."

"You're sure?"

"Yes!"

David nodded, satisfied. "Good, 'cause I'm pretty sure that Nathan has a Marine Corp background."


	5. Chapter 5

Jade smiled as Dylan caught up with her at the corner.

"You're getting faster." He panted.

"Apparently running every day builds up your leg muscles."

He shook his head, smiling. "I never would've guessed."

"So, how are your parents doing?" she asked, a little hesitant.

"They seem to be doing well." He nodded. "They're both getting there. Dad, I'm not sure why, but be took off with a Mark Harris CD in the truck. I saw the case it was in. A lot of the songs were the ones that Emily liked. Anyway, Dad told Mom that he was going dancing, and she acted like she understood what he meant. I didn't bother to ask."

"Do you know where he went?"

"Not a clue."

They ran and talked together until they were both panting too much for talking to be worth the effort. Then, as they had been doing, Jade dug out her MP3 player and handed Dylan one of the ear buds. He took it and Jade scanned through her playlists. She paused as an idea struck her and then she went to the "artists" list, choosing Mark Harris. Dylan stumbled, but stayed upright and running as "One True God" started playing. He glanced at her and she looked back, wanting to know if playing the songs was okay. He nodded as though he knew her thoughts and they kept right on running, letting the music and lyrics run through them, paying attention to them and letting them sink in.

Jade knew without asking that it was a healing moment for her friend and she was glad that she had taken the chance.

* * *

During the resolution ceremony, for reasons he was entirely unwilling to examine, Dylan kept looking towards Jade. She met his eyes at every glance. What was going on between them? In his own mind even? He didn't want to know. He was terrified to know. Her friendship was a precious thing to him, the only one he actually had, and he was afraid to try to make something more of it, something that wasn't there. He didn't want to lose what he had.

Afterwards, while the group of them ate a light meal, Jade and David each sat down beside him.

"So." David spoke up, smirking, as soon as the prayer had been said.

"So?" Dylan shrugged, not wanting to go where he figured David was dragging him.

"So, can you see yourself signing a resolution like this?"

Huh, not what he had thought was coming. "Yeah, sure."

David nodded without another comment, apparently letting him off the hook. "Good."

Dylan managed to smile at him. As Jade's arm brushed unintentionally against his, his resolve strengthened, and suddenly he wasn't just saying he would sign a resolution. He meant it. No matter who he married, he would do his best to be the man in the resolution.

He felt the heat radiating off of Jade's body beside him, a constant reminder of her presence. He glanced at her. And she looked straight back at him.

What was going on inside of his head? She had a boyfriend! They were just friends, that was  _all_!

David's words came to him and curled like a cobra around his insides, squeezing until he felt as though he couldn't breathe properly.

_Famous last words._

At fifteen, it was a moot point anyway, a passing thought, him and her, and he shook it easily off. He didn't want a girlfriend and she had a boyfriend. End of story. They were just friends.

* * *

Jade set off running the next day and waited for Dylan to catch up with her.

When he did, she said off-handedly, "My dad went to the cemetery. To visit his dad."

It was never necessary to go through pleasantries. For many weeks they had kept up a steady stream of notes and conversations, and almost always just started up where they had left off. They had even sat together for lunch at school a couple of times.

"He found him?"

Jade nodded. "He wrote a speech, too, I think. I have no idea what he's planning to do. Maybe he just needs closure. I don't know why I told you that. You don't care anyway."

"Say what?" Dylan asked.

Jade shrugged and repeated, "You don't care what my dad does."

"I told you about my dad and his CD, didn't I?"

"Well, yeah."

"And you cared, am I right or wrong?"

"Right, but anyway, it's no big deal."

She started to speed up, hoping he would drop it. He ran in front of her and turned to face her, forcing her to stop or else run over him.

"Stop it. Hold on a second." He ordered. "This is a big deal to me. You were there for me when Emily died. You read everything I wrote in each and every one of those notes and helped me more than you probably know. You were there, and you cared then, and you still care now. Right?"

She nodded, caught off guard at his passionate response.

"Then why would you assume that I don't care about your life, your family?"

She shrugged. "I guess that I misjudged you a little. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for. I am off-putting I guess. And I'm sorry I got so upset, I don't know what came over me."

"It's fine." Jade answered cheerfully.

"Are we good?" Dylan asked.

"Yeah. Sure."

A movement to her right caught her eye, and her eyes darted over. David Thomson stood in his yard, watching them with upraised eyebrows. Jade touched Dylan's arm to get his attention. She felt Dylan stiffen under her fingertips when he caught sight of her dad's partner.

"Hi!" David called out.

"Hello!" The teenagers answered together.

Then they ran on.

"Do you think he heard all of that?" Jade asked.

Dylan nodded. "We were stopped right in front of his house."

"So, what does that mean?"

"Hopefully nothing. Right now, I think he enjoys the idea of having blackmail if it should come in handy."

"Great." Jade groaned. "That's just great."

"Well, I told you that he already knows we're running together. You know," A new thought had apparently occurred to him. "It may be a good thing that Dad is running with me instead of you tomorrow."

Jade nodded. "Good point."

"Anyway, we both know we're just friends, and right now we're the only two that need to have that straight."

"Right."


	6. Chapter 6

Dylan watched as his dad collapsed at the corner they'd been racing towards, laughing. Dylan flopped down onto the grass beside him.

"You cheated!" Dylan accused for the second time.

"And you fell for it." Adam pointed out.

"Because I trusted you!"

Adam sobered. "Do you? Really?"

Dylan considered that in silence for a moment before he nodded.

"Yeah, I do."

"So what changed?"

Dylan paused. "What?"

"What changed that made you trust me?"

Dylan considered again before he answered. "Emily."

His father paused. "How do you figure that?"

"She drew us together, I think. After she died, we got closer, all three of us. I started trying to get along with people, well, those who bothered to talk to me still. It's like the poem."

"Like a poem?" Adam interrupted incredulously. "What poem?"

Dylan bit his lip before he began to quote slowly,

"I have no Life but this -

To lead it here -

Nor any Death - but lest

Dispelled from there -

Nor tie to Earths to come -

Nor Action new -

Except through this extent -

The Realm of you –"

Dylan smiled at the look of shock on his father's face. "It's an Emily Dickinson poem." He added helpfully.

"Since when do you pay attention in English Lit class?"

"A friend shared it with me, not a teacher."

"What does that have to do with our Emily?" Adam asked.

"She was a good daughter. I started wondering what she would say, like, to you. She respected you and Mom where I didn't, not really. And I started trying to do some of the things that she had done around the house. I started trying to be a better person. I think we all did."

"I've noticed, and I want to thank you. You've made it much easier on your mother and I."

Dylan nodded, not knowing how to respond.

"Now come on." Adam stood up. "I'm getting hungry."

* * *

Dylan paused in the hallway on his way from the shower. His parents looked to be in the middle of a very serious conversation. His mother was sitting on the couch and his father was in front of her, sitting on the lazy boy close to her, his hands steepled.

"I hope your wrong about this." Victoria stated.

"I hope I'm wrong about this." His father replied.

His mother cringed before asking, "But what if you're not?"

Adam ran a hand over his mouth for a moment before answering, "I still have to do the right thing."

Dylan turned away from the doorway, deep in thought. His father was willing to do the right thing, even if it hurt those close to him. Dylan had heard enough snippets of conversation over time to deduce that the department was having problems with someone stealing evidence, drugs. He couldn't imagine what happened next, just that it wasn't going to be easy for anyone concerned.

He slowly made his way to his bedroom and opened the door to his closet. He sat cross-legged on the floor, pulled out a shoebox and opened it, putting his father's situation into something in his own life. Jade.

She had vented to him about her frustration with "the Derrick situation", with her father's "unreasonable" rules about boys. Dylan had gotten the impression that she was hiding their friendship from her family, so he had done the same thing, hidden it from his parents.

He took the notes she had written him out of the shoebox one by one, reading them and placing them on the floor around him. When the box was empty, he put his elbows on his knees and subconsciously steepled his hands in front of his mouth, as he had just seen his father do.

He couldn't keep such a big part of his life a secret, it wasn't right. Especially since he knew what he did about Officer Hayes convictions concerning his daughter. So, now that he knew he had to tell someone, what next?

Calling David crossed his mind, but, honestly, he couldn't see the man having much valuable insight, just jabs at Dylan and Jade. He really didn't need that right now.

"Hey, Dylan?" Adam opened the door and popped his head in. "I was wondering if it would be okay with you for me to go on your run with you tomorrow."

Dylan's head snapped up and his eyes met his dad's. "Yeah, sure. That'd be great."

Adam nodded and went to duck back out. He paused when he noticed all the papers scattered around. "What is all of this?"

Dylan looked around at all of them. The sheer number of all the notes took even him by surprise.

"Can I talk to you about this?" he asked his dad softly.

"Of course." Adam stepped into the room and settled on Dylan's bed. "What's going on?"

Dylan sighed heavily and put his head in his hands. "I've handled this all wrong and I don't know what to do or how to fix it."

"What is 'this'?"

Dylan gestured to all the notes. "Jade."

Adam sat up straight. "Jade? This is about a girl?"

Dylan nodded. "But not like it sounds."

Adam paused. "Jade. Jade. Jade. Where do I know that name from?"

Dylan groaned. "Nathan's daughter."

"Nathan  _Hayes_ daughter!"

Dylan nodded again, and lifted his eyes up to meet his father's. "But it's not like it sounds!"

"Then what is it like?"

"It started when she put a note in my locker my first day back to school to say that she was praying for me." Dylan found that particular note and handed it to his father. " She didn't sign it, but she left enough clues in the note unintentionally that I figured out who it was. I wrote one back to thank her, and that was supposed to be it.

The day that you tried to talk to me that first time?" He waited for his dad to nod before he continued. "Later that night, when I heard you ask how you were supposed to let Emily go, I wrote her a note before I really knew what I was doing and I put it in her locker the next morning at school. She wrote me back and it just kinda piled up. We put notes in lockers and on Emily's seat back at church. We text on Saturdays. We've eaten lunch together at school a couple of times." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before voicing the main thing that was bothering him. "The shoes she bought to go running with a friend in? I'm that friend. If you're not running with me then she is. Ever since she got those shoes, she's been running with me. I don't think her family knows about any of it."

Dylan ran a hand over his eyes before he turned turmoil filled eyes back to his father's solemn face and sighed. "Ever since Emily died, all my friends sorta left me alone and fell away. While this was happening, Jade appeared out of nowhere and offered an ear or a shoulder or whatever, and… it just happened.

We're just friends, but she's told me how Nathan feels about her and boys, so it feels like even that much should be kept a secret. But it just isn't right. I'm scared though. If I tell the Hayes about this, I'm afraid they won't let me contact her any more. Dad, I have no other friends!" He sighed. "Your four guys are coming over tomorrow, right?"

"Shane, David, Javi, and Nathan, yes."

"Dad, I don't think that I'm even going to be able to look him in the eye tomorrow! Not now. What do I do?"

His father considered for a minute before he answered carefully, "You need to tell the others. Nathan, Mrs. Hayes, your mother. They need to know too. I'm more than fine with you and Jade being friends. It seems like she's been a good influence on you. I'm sure that Victoria will agree with me. As for Nathan and his wife, that's entirely up to them. But you need to do the right thing, no matter who it hurts. That does mean telling them."

"Like with the missing evidence." Dylan murmured.

Adam looked startled. "Yeah."

"No matter who it hurts?"

Adam nodded slowly.

"But what if they take her away from me? I need a friend."

"God is always with you, Dylan. He's the friend that sticketh closer than a brother. So you do have a friend. What you need to decide is if you need a clear conscience as well."

Dylan nodded somberly. "You're right."


	7. Chapter 7

Adam Mitchell had had bad days. He'd had horrible days. He'd had curse-God-and-die days. This was one of those curse-God-and-die days.

He and Nathan had found the man responsible for the disappearance of the drugs. He should have been celebrating. Any other result and he probably would have been doing just that.

He had suspected, really he had. That was why he had made sure he could go running with Dylan. Why he had invited his friends over for dinner. He knew that he would need something good to end his day with. That they all would.

Yet now, as he made his way up his drive with leaden feet, it just didn't seem real. It certainly didn't seem right. Even though he knew better, he kept thinking that maybe there had been a mistake, maybe they had been wrong. After all, he had been Shane's partner for thirteen years. The man was his best friend. But no, they were right. He was right. It had been Shane stealing the drugs. He'd seen the man arrested. He had informed Mia and Tyler of the arrest himself.

Why then did this, something he knew was right, have to feel so wrong?

* * *

Dylan glanced sideways at his father for what he knew had to be the tenth time since they had started their run. "Are you okay?" he asked cautiously. As he asked that he realized had never to his remembrance voiced that question to his dad. "Mom said that you caught the evidence thief today. And that she thought it was your place to tell me who it was."

Adam's head dropped and his shoulders stooped, he slowed to a jog, so Dylan did too. He hadn't looked this old since Emily's death, and it shook Dylan up a little.

"Dad?"

"It was Shane." His father's answer was barely audible.

Dylan froze before turning to face Adam face to face. They stood still now, neither knowing how to fill the silence between them.

"Are you all right, Buddy?" Dylan asked lightly, remembering his father's words to him.

That coaxed a smile from Adam before he said, "I wish that it hadn't been the right thing to do. It just – it hurts, you know?"

Dylan looked over at his father in surprise. "But isn't that what you said yesterday? Do the right thing no matter who it hurts?"

Adam now looked as surprised as Dylan felt.

"It is, isn't it?" Adam came to the conclusion slowly and they resumed running again. After a while, Adam asked, "Are you scared? Of explaining to Nathan and Kayla?"

Dylan flinched. "Not really. I mean, it's not like he carries a gun around after hours. Does he?"

Adam shook his head. "Not that I know of. He's still her dad though."

"And a Marine." Dylan added morosely.

"But, hey, if he shoots at you, I'll take the bullet for you, how about it?"

Dylan smirked. "I hope that won't be necessary."

"So, is Jade okay with you spilling the beans?"

Dylan nodded. "She seems to be. We talked about it at school today, and she seemed glad to get it over with."

Adam nodded. "How are you planning on telling them?"

Dylan shrugged. "I figure that the shoebox is as good a place to start as any. I guess I'll just go from there."

"So, you're doing this solo, right? Jade won't be there?"

Dylan nodded. "I asked her not to try to come. If she gets into any sort of trouble over it, I want Nathan to have the drive home from our house to think and calm down before he gets to her."

Adam clapped a hand on his son's shoulder. "Good answer. I'd wish you good luck, but I don't believe in it."

"Pray." Dylan requested weakly.

* * *

When dinner was over later that night, Dylan retreated into the kitchen with his mother, willing to let the men discuss the day's startling events concerning Shane before he brought up the subject on his mind.

The men moved into the living room and at length his father called to him, "Hey, Dylan."

Dylan hurried to the doorway, feeling sick to his stomach. "Yeah."

"Do you still have something you want to say?" Adam asked.

Dylan swallowed past the lump in his throat and nodded. "I'll be right back."

He hurried to his bedroom and grabbed the shoebox from where he had put it on his bed for easy access. Then he ran back to the living room and stopped in the doorway again. He took a deep breath, in and out, and sent up a silent three-word prayer, with his eyes still open. "God, help me."

He walked across the room and handed the box to Nathan as his mother came to stand in the doorway. Nathan looked at the closed box, then up at Dylan.

"What's this?"

Dylan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He swallowed again and said painfully, "Open it."

Nathan obliged and the moving of cardboard was the only noise in the room as the adults leaned forward, curious as to what was causing such trouble.

"All right, you've got me." Nathan said, as he took a few notes out and scanned them. "What is all of this?"

Dylan folded himself onto the floor, focused entirely on Nathan. He steepled his hands, as he often did when something deep was going on inside of his brain.

"She started it with this." Dylan reached into the box and pulled out the first note she'd written to him. "According to her, she wanted to do something for me after the funeral. She talked to her mom about it, who suggested writing me a note. You're holding that first one. When I figured out who had written it I wrote her back to thank her. One night, when it got really bad, I wrote her again, and we haven't stopped since. We put the notes in each other's lockers at school and on the chair back at church. You've probably noticed those. We text on Saturday, but you've probably noticed that too. We ate together at school a couple of times when her friends were absent." He took a deep breath and released it slowly. "And, um, you know all the running she's been doing? I've been doing most of it with her."

"Jade?" Nathan asked for clarification and Dylan nodded.

"Yeah. We didn't know what you and Mrs. Hayes would say, so she didn't really say anything and I followed her lead. But it started bothering me, and… well, this is where it brought me. But I do want you to know one thing. This situation is really my fault. After that thank you note I wrote, that was supposed to be the end of it. But I wrote her that second one. And I was the one to suggest that she come run with me. I had no idea that it would be a frequent thing, but it was my suggestion so it is my fault." He took a deep breath and ended with, "So if you're going to get mad or yell at anybody, do it to me."

Nathan looked a little startled. He was silent for a second before he said, "I don't like yelling, and I'm not going to. Did Jade know that you were going to tell me all of this tonight?"

The muscles in Dylan shoulders loosened. "Yes, sir."

"Then shouldn't she be here too?"

Dylan bit his lip and hoped that he wouldn't offend Nathan with his answer. "I wanted you to have time to think before you talked to her about it. And I wanted to be able to…" he considered carefully how to phrase it before he did so. "To take the blame, I guess."

"Here." Nathan closed the shoebox and handed it to Dylan. "Why don't you go put that back where it belongs?"

Dylan nodded and unfolded his legs, getting up off of the floor. For the first time, he noticed the expressions on the faces of the others in the room. His parents and Javier looked impressed. David looked a little stunned.

As Dylan stepped into the hallway, he added, "Hey, Nathan? If you want, David can verify some of what I just told you."

Nathan raised his eyebrows and looked at his young partner. "How is that?"

"Dylan's running route passes right in front of my house. I watch for them some times."

"And?"

"And he's a good kid. And if I thought he had anything improper in mind, I would've told you without a second thought. And, if you must know, I talked to him about it after the first time I saw them running together."

"What'd you say?" Nathan asked him.

"I asked him what the purpose was, if that's what you mean."

Nathan raised his eyebrows.

"They're just friends, and that's a quote."

"Then Kayla and I have no problem with it. So long as you and Victoria don't."

Nathan looked to Adam, who shook his head. "None."

Nathan nodded, glad that was settled.

"He didn't want her to get into trouble." Javi said slowly, looking past them all into the hallway.

Nathan twisted in his seat to see what Javi was staring at. His eyes landed on Adam's copy of the resolution. He knew what Javi was thinking of – the paragraph about their wives, being willing to take the hard things on for her.

Nathan turned back around and looked at David. "Just friends, right?"

David nodded. "That's what he said."


	8. Chapter 8

Later that week, as Jade sat with her father in an upscale restaurant, she found herself entirely caught up in what he was saying.

"One day I'll give you away to a young man." Nathan said as his daughter's eyes became misted. "And I want that young man to love God more than anything, because if he does, then he'll love you. And I know how young men think. They want to win your heart, but they don't know how to treasure it. So I'd like to make an agreement with you."

Jade nodded. "Okay."

"Jade, if you will trust me with your heart, and allow me to approve any young man that desires to have more than a friendship with you,"

Jade nodded.

"I promise to take care of you and give you my full blessing when God shows us the right one."

"Okay." She breathed. She tried again, so that she could be heard, "Okay. I will."

Her dad released a breath. "Thank you. I have something to help us to remember this night."

He reached inside the inside pocket of his suit and pulled out a small, blue velvet ring box. When he opened it, her eyes widened of their own accord.

"Daddy!" she whispered.

"Jade, will you give me your left hand, please?"

"Daddy, is this real?"

"Yes, it is."

"Oh!" she gasped as he slipped the ring onto her ring finger.

"This is meant to be worn until it can be replaced by your wedding ring. Jade, I love you sweetie. From this night on, I want to treat you like the young woman that you are."

"Oh," She stared down at the ring. "Daddy, thank you so much! I love you too. I love you."

She wiped a tear from her eye as her father squeezed her hand. When she had recovered herself sufficiently, she asked quietly, "Did you get me this because of Derrick?"

"Yes. No?" Nathan sighed and tried again. "Its' been coming for a while, even though I haven't been willing to admit it. Between Derrick and Dylan, I got a wakeup call."

"Dylan?"

"There needs to be a balance in your friendships with boys and after talking with Dylan, I realize that I didn't explain that. I'm fine with you being friends with boys, just not with boyfriends, not yet. And I want you to know that you can tell me anything. Everything. I don't want you to feel like you have to hide things from me ever again. All right?"

She nodded again. "Okay."

* * *

"Dad went to visit Shane today." Dylan said conversationally as Jade stepped down to join him on the sidewalk outside of her house the next day.

Jade shook her head as they took off running together. "I'm not sure that I could do that. Shane has made life a lot harder for all the people in the sheriff's office. And he knew what he was doing, too. I'll say this for your dad: he's a very forgiving person. A Godly man. Is that weird to say?"

"It's true, so I guess it wouldn't be."

Jade smiled over the change in her friend's attitude towards his father. The resolution had made a difference for everyone concerned.

"Oh!" she remembered with a start. "Speaking of dads, see what mine gave me last night?"

She held up her left hand, but the only reaction she got from Dylan was confusion.

"The ring." Jade pointed out.

"It's… nice." He sounded like he was guessing. "So, what? Are you engaged to Derrick now or something?"

He smiled at his own joke, and at her, as she tried unsuccessfully to ram her elbow into his ribs.

"It's a purity ring. And Dad blames you for it."

Dylan froze in his tracks. "Me! Me. You, and your purity ring have nothing in common. I think that I made that pretty clear to him. How is it my fault that you got that ring?"

He took off running again and she caught up with him, managing to keep up and stay beside him.

"it's not a fault thing. And it was you and Derrick together. Two extremes, I guess. It was mostly Derrick anyway. I just wanted to freak you out."

He shook his head at her, a dry smile on his face. Jade wondered absently if it was okay to have the words "handsome" and "gorgeous" cross ones' mind concerning their best friend, as they did just that in her head.

"Mission accomplished." Dylan replied with a lazy smile.

He didn't notice how her smile dimmed as they ran. "Yeah. Right."

Her father's words from the previous came back to her, ringing a warning in her ears.  _No boyfriends._ She sighed to herself. Yeah, she knew all of that. And besides, she didn't want to lose what she all ready had with Dylan.

* * *

Dylan had barely stepped in the door after school a week later when his mom informed him, after hanging up with Adam, "Derrick Freeman was just arrested along with a couple of gang members in a drug bust. They went down hard, but your dad's okay."

"Jade's Derrick Freeman?" Dylan asked, setting his backpack on the countertop.

"Yes."

Dylan closed his eyes for a moment.

"Let's pray." Victoria suggested softly, taking Dylan's hands across the bar.

She prayed aloud while Dylan silently echoed her pleas mentally.

When she said, "Amen" Dylan asked, "Can I go check on Jade? If Nathan got in a fight… plus Derrick…"

"Of course." His mother waved him towards the door. "Go on."

So he did just that. He even took his bike, knowing that he would be able to get there faster if he did. He got to the Hayes' house in record time.

Kayla opened the door to his knock. "Are you here to see Jade, I guess?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well, you can come in," Kayla moved aside to let him inside. "But I doubt she'll want to see you. You heard what happened with Nathan and Derrick?" When Dylan confirmed this, she added, "Jade's really upset, up in her room crying, last time I checked. You can go on up if you dare. It's the second door on the right. If the door's locked, there's a key on the top trim."

"Thanks, Mrs. Hayes." Dylan said, hurrying up the staircase.

Her prediction about the locked door proved correct, as did the necessity of using the key.

Laying on her side in her bed, sniffling, with her back to him, Jade asked woodenly, "How did you get in here?"

He smiled dryly as he recalled asking his dad the same question. He decided to roll with it.

"I know how to work to work the lock, Jade."

She stiffened when she realized that it wasn't her mother, and turned to face him. "Are you still wanting to go for a run?"

"Only if you want to." He sat down on the edge of her bed. "I really came to see how you're doing."

She rolled her eyes and gestured at the dozen or so Kleenexes scattered across the her bed. "I'm doing just great."

Dylan looked around her room, not sure how, or even if, he should answer.

At length, Jade held up the book of Emily Dickenson poetry she wanted him to believe she had been reading, and asked, "Can I go back to my book now, please?"

She did so without giving him timer to answer, and he was done echoing his dad. He took the book from out of her hands. He leaned across her and set the book on her bedside table.

"No, you may not. I came here to help you, and letting you curl up in here and be miserable by yourself isn't going to help anyone. Talk to me about this."

She rolled her big, expressive eyes as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, sitting next to him. "What do you want me to say?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, just tell me what you're thinking, I guess."

"I'm glad that I didn't take that bracelet."

He hadn't expected anything like that. "What bracelet?"

"Right before Derrick left school today, he offered me a bracelet. Real diamonds, he said. I thought that he was lying and I turned it down. And since he had it with him when he was arrested, he has possession of stolen property on his wrap sheet as well as everything else. He never would listen when I told him that we were just friends now." She looked away from Dylan. "I guess… I just feel really… stupid, that's all."

"Stupid? Jade Hayes, you're one of the best and smartest students in school! You constantly make above 95%! Do you remember that nasty economics test you got second place on?"

Dylan was stunned when she burst into tears. He didn't think twice before he scooted closer and wrapped his arms around her. She returned the embrace and buried her head in his shoulder.

Her voice was muffled in his shoulder, but he understood when she said, "Derrick was the one who scored higher than me on that one."

Dylan cringed. "Bad example than. But the point is, you  _are not_ stupid. And there is absolutely no reason for you to hole up in your bedroom and be miserable all weekend! It's a beautiful day outside."

He gestured to the world beyond her bedroom window as she sat up. He grabbed a tissue from the box on her bedside table and handed it to her.

When she had thrown it away, he suggested, "Why don't we go for a run?"

"I thought that you said that was my decision." she whined.

"Jade, quit sulking. Right now. None of this is worth all of this to do. It's bad for you."

"You don't have running shoes, or the right clothes." Jade objected.

"I'll live. Now come on. Go get your running shoes."

"No." She crossed her arms over her chest and flopped down on the bed, acting for the world like a disgruntled three year old.

Well, the way he saw it, that put him in the position of a parent. "I'm not asking, I'm telling."

She glared at him, heaved a dramatic sigh, and retrieved her shoes. Kayla looked surprised when they came tumbling down the staircase together. When the expression on her daughter's face registered, though, she looked at Dylan sideways, as if to wish him luck, and turned away.

Dylan took a deep breath to steel himself, and opened the front door for Jade to go out ahead of him. They didn't talk much as they ran, didn't even bother with any music.

When they passed by David's house, he was just getting out of his car after work. When he noticed Jade, he winced. Dylan waved at him, offering a smile to go along with it. Dylan was encouraged when Jade did as well. David appeared to be happier too, and waved back.

They were back on Jade's street when Dylan said hesitantly, "I really am sorry about this whole Derrick thing.

"It's okay." She shrugged. "I guess I may have overreacted a little. We were just friends anyway. And besides, there are plenty of other boys out there. Better ones. It's not like he was going to wait for me to turn seventeen anyway."

"No." Dylan carefully weighed each of his words. "Probably not."

She sighed. "Nobody's willing to do that anymore."

Dylan was caught off guard by that statement. "You're wrong. If it's in God's plan for you, it'll happen. Remember, 'But Jesus beheld  _them_ , and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.' Matthew 19:26, so you know it's right. Right?"

Jade smiled at him, somewhere between a grin and a smirk. "Right."

"You're smiling again." They stopped as if on cue beside the steps of the Hayes' house. "Does that mean that if I let you go back in there, you won't start crying again?"

"Right." She nodded for emphasis.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Promise what?"

She laughed at him, which was exactly what he had been aiming for. "I promise…" she paused to think of something, then continued, surprisingly serious, "to… commit to… being your best friend, and helping you out whenever I can, when you think you need me, and when I know you do."

Dylan knew that she meant every word.

Then she grinned, lightening the mood once again, and continued, "For better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day forward until death do us part."

Dylan smiled and then nodded, in a more serious state of mind. "Then I do too, in all seriousness. And we both know how our families take the vows that they make."

Jade nodded again and gave him a sweet smile. "Thanks. For making that promise. And coming to check on me, and, well, everything. It means a lot to me. I don't know how school is going to be Monday. You know what happened to Derrick is going to be the top story."

Dread curled into a hard knot in Dylan's stomach, but for her he said, "It's Friday. Maybe they'll be over it by Monday?"

The look that she gave him told him that they both knew better.

"Or not." He conceded. "But we only have two more weeks left of school. We'll survive until the end, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." She sounded none too certain, though.

"Together." He reminded softly, placing a hand on one of her shoulders.

She nodded and leaned into his touch, repeating, "Together."

"Jade?" Jordan opened up the front door and informed his sister, "Dad says to come in for dinner."

Jade looked from Dylan to her brother and back to Dylan. "I guess I'd better go in, then."

"Yeah. I'll see you at church Sunday?"

She nodded, giving him a small smile, and slipped inside the house behind Jordan. As he turned away from the house, Dylan couldn't help but note how cold his hand felt without the heat of her body under it. And he couldn't help but wonder what he'd gotten himself into with the commitment that he had agreed to.


	9. Chapter 9

Dylan ran alongside his dad, Sunday after church, listening to the rhythmic pounding of their feet against the pavement. After a few minutes, Dylan voiced the idea that had been weighing on his mind.

"Hey, Dad, about the 5k race…"

"What about it?"

"Well, I was wondering, do you think that Tyler might like to run with us?"

His dad considered that for a minute in silence. "You know that it's a father-son race, right?"

"Yeah, but Pastor Rodgers said last Sunday that a son isn't necessarily biological, and that he doesn't even have to be legally adopted. That's like Nathan and Mr. Barrett. And it's what you're trying to do with Tyler. Right?"

"Right." Dylan smiled when his father did, knowing that he agreed. "All right. I'll stop by and talk to him after work tomorrow. And, hey, thanks for supporting me in this with Tyler."

Dylan shrugged. "You made a promise to Shane. If I can, I should help you keep that promise."

Adam looked down at him with respect and wonder in his eyes. "When did you become a man?"

Heat flared across Dylan's face at the comment. He shrugged again. "I've been paying attention."

"To who?"

"Pastor Rodgers, you and Mom, your guys, and Jade."

"The first two I understand, but my guys and Jade?"

"Yeah. Mostly David and Jade. Nathan too. They've kept me grounded with some stuff. Nathan is good for stuff going on at school, drugs and whatever. And David helps me with sports. The big brother that I never asked for, I guess."

"Jade?"

Dylan paused before answering, "Jade. When we write notes to each other, we usually write a heading. I put a Scripture verse as mine. That in itself makes me study the Bible more. She may put Scripture, but she's just as likely to put a poem or quote."

"Which is where you've been getting them?"

Dylan nodded. "Yeah. I guess everything is just making me think more. Study: the Bible, in school. I've just been getting some direction, priorities, in my life. And I have you to thank for that too, so thanks."

Adam smiled. "Anytime."

* * *

Monday morning saw Dylan getting up and out the door even earlier than usual. He had decided to forget the bus and walk. He took the long way, a much longer way, and stopped by Jade's house, so he could walk with her to school. Today was one of the days that she needed him. Neither one of them knew what to expect from her friends, and he knew that she was scared.

Scared of being shut out. Like he had been. Like he still was, for the most part. But she wouldn't be, not completely, because he was there. And he wasn't going to let that change.

* * *

Jade almost wilted with relief when she stepped out of her house, having chosen to skip the bus, and saw Dylan waiting outside of her house.

"'Morning." He greeted her.

"Hi." She stepped down onto the sidewalk.

"We better go. We don't want to be late for school."

Jade nodded, but the fact of the matter was, she didn't want to go to school at all. Dylan smiled at her sympathetically as they began to walk. He knew what she was thinking.

"We are going to have a good day today." Dylan enunciated every word with certainty, trying to drum it into both of their heads, she guessed.

Jade smiled half-heartedly and nodded, not at all certain.

"We're going to be all right." He repeated. She didn't bother with responding, so he continued on, "I'm going to take care of you, I promise. As a matter of fact, I all ready promised: on Friday. Remember?"

"That's not the same as this." She argued.

"Yes it is. This is the exact thing that I was thinking about Friday, and we both know it." He smiled a little. "'For better or worse'. Isn't that what you said?"

She smiled a little, but only for him, really. "I was just kidding around."

"Well I still say that that was a part of it, a part that I'm keeping whether you do or not."

She smiled at him again, her first real smile of the morning. "Thank you."

He smiled back, the smile that made her stomach flutter like it had for Derrick. "It's my pleasure."

She remembered something she had read in her favorite book the night before, and shared it with him. "I found a quote for today." She remarked. "'Defend me from my friends; I can defend myself from my enemies.' Claude Louis Hector De Villars."

"Long enough name, do you think?" Dylan asked lightly, and then he got to the point. "No one should have to defend you from your friends. Your friends are the ones who defend you."

She looked at her feet, hesitant to voice her concern. "I know you're right, but where does that leave me?"

He bumped her arm lightly with his and she looked up from her feet to meet his steady hazel eyes. "With me."

"I know."

"Well, just don't forget it."

"I won't."

"Won't what?"

"I won't forget."

"Promise?"

She smiled at his repetition of Friday's conversation, and nodded. "I promise."

"Good."

He held out his hand for her to take, a show of unification. His eyes asked if it was all right to do. She slid her hand into his and smiled at him uncertainly. He took a deep breath, and she copied the action. He squeezed her hand.

"Let's get this over with." He said with more certainty than she knew either one of them was feeling.

She nodded anyway as the school came into view. "Let's do this."


	10. Chapter 10

Dylan collapsed on the grass beside his mom as other runners from the 5k slowed around them. Adam flopped down on Victoria's other side and Tyler sat beside him.

"You did great!" Victoria praised Adam and Tyler as she handed them bottles of water.

"What about me?" Dylan asked, pretending petulance.

Tyler lowered his water after downing a good bit of it. "That's cute." He joked. "You think they all came to see you. They always see you running."

"He's right." David supported Tyler's theory, all of it in jest.

All the men and their families, except for Amanda and Olivia, whom no one had met yet, had shown up to cheer them on.

"Don't worry, Dylan," Jade said sweetly, smiling, she handing him a bottle of water from out of the portable cooler. "I came to see you run."

Dylan took the water and smiled back. "Thanks." He sniffed dramatically, as though holding back tears. "I know at least you love me."

Jade's smile widened almost imperceptibly. Today was Saturday, the first day of their summer vacation, and they were both glad to be out of the trap that school had become.

It had been hard for them both. Having made very few friends in the time she had been in Albany, and none close enough to her to stick up for her, Jade had practically been shunned and certainly gossiped about. It had happened as they had expected it to, and it had only pulled Dylan closer to her and her to him.

They weren't sure how to label it anymore: what they had. And he was pretty sure that holding hands every day as they walked to school, even only as a comfort for her, hadn't helped anything.

David looked at them sideways, a small, knowing smile on his lips.

Jade caught it and asked, "What?"

Dylan groaned. "Don't. Ask. Him."

"All I have to say is, 'famous last words'." David pointed a half accusatory, half joking, finger in Dylan's direction. "And, in advance, I told you so."

"We're just friends." Dylan defended himself. "I haven't done anything to try and change that."

"Oh," David smirked. "You don't have to tell me that, I all ready know it. You haven't done anything on purpose, anyway."

"And what have I done on accident, then?" He couldn't help the edge that crept into his tone.

"Let me ask you a different question. How was your last couple of weeks of school?"

Dylan's jaw clenched and Jade instantly became quite and still. "It was school."

"How about you, Jade?" David turned to her.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"That bad?"

"Leave her alone." Dylan heard himself say, looking at his hands. "You don't know anything about it."

David raised his eyebrows and turned back to Dylan, but thankfully dropped it. "All right."

"Can someone please make sense of that for me?" Nathan asked. "You were having a hard time at school?" He looked at Jade. "With your grades?"

Jade shook her head, studying her hands.

"Her boyfriend's in jail. Prison, actually, and now that's the reputation she's dealing with." Dylan spoke up; mad now at the men he knew had put Derrick there.

"Look, guys," David spoke before either father could. "I'm sorry you've both had such a hard past couple of weeks, but we have to do our jobs, no matter who we're dealing with."

"I know." Jade said quietly.

"Yeah." Dylan agreed. "I'm sorry, I just…" He inhaled and let it out slowly, his anger deflating along with it. "I don't know."

"It's okay." David smiled. "I do. And anyway, it's over."

Dylan rolled his eyes. "Don't even start with me. I say we just let it all go."

Jade nodded eagerly.

"One more question." David demanded, before asking Dylan, "How many guys did you punch over it?"

"I didn't actually hit any of them." Dylan informed him.

"Did you want to though?"

"Leave him alone." Jade commanded.

David's smile widened. "That's what I thought." Then he became quiet for a second before saying, "You've got a good thing going here for you two. Just… be careful."

Dylan laughed, though he tried to hide it behind a cough, and spared a glance towards Nathan.

"I thought he wasn't scary?" Adam asked, catching the action.

"I don't know what I want. I'm afraid I lied to him though."

"You wouldn't be the only one." Nathan spoke up. "I distinctly remember hearing the words 'I never really loved her, you know?' Do you know where the man who said that spends the majority of his weekends now? With the girls that he don't love."

Dylan smiled. "It does sound like you were lied to."

"Actually," Nathan sat back against a tree. "I think that he believed what he was saying at the time, but as time went on, and he got to know her better, he found himself loving her." Nathan shrugged. "It just happened. And that's all right."

Dylan smiled, it was really a half-smirk, and downed the rest of his water. The conversation was over.

* * *

"Okay," Javi spoke up. "Who feels like a celebratory lunch?"

"Where at?" Adam asked.

"Pearly's!" Tyler crowed.

Most soon agreed and they were off. David stayed seated on the grass, as they picked up their things.

"You coming?" Dylan turned and asked as they walked away.

David nodded and picked himself up from the ground. If they did meet her there, where she worked, it would probably be a good idea for him to be there as well. "Yeah, I'm coming."

* * *

Pearly's was the mother of all country kitchens and a local legend for its breakfast food. David knew the place like a third home, but when he spotted her behind the counter on her shift, he wasn't sure whether or not he'd be able to eat anything. He came in ahead of the others, and shared a smile with her when she glanced over from ringing up a customer. When she was done there she came around the counter towards him. And then the Mitchells came in and behind them the rest of the group poured in. And she went from smiling to rubbing her temples.

"Sorry." He mouthed.

Amanda waved the apology away as if it were a pesky fly, and went to refill some guy's coffee. David purposely headed for her section and took a seat around the biggest table he could find there, which, remarkably, wasn't taken. The others took seats around the same group of tables.

In a few minutes, she came around with a pen, a notepad, and a cup of ice tea. She set the tea down in front of David, who thanked her before he took a long drink of it.

"What can I get for the rest of you?" she asked, pen poised.

Answers flew from all directions as she tried to keep up. She paused for a millisecond and closed her eyes, fighting a headache.

"Do you think that going one at a time might be a good idea?" David asked over their noise, the aggravation in his voice startling even him.

Amanda gave him a grateful look and took a deep breath. "David, what can I get for you?"

He gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile and ordered his sausage-link biscuit. She smiled back, but her eyes were dead-tired. It worried him.

Ever observant, Jade gasped when Amanda got close enough that Jade could read her name-tag. She leaned over and whispered to Dylan, who was sitting beside her, as soon as Amanda was out of hearing range. Both David and Amanda watched out of the corner of their eyes as the teenagers indulged in a whispered conversation. Dylan motioned for Tyler to lean in closer to him. When he did, Jade whispered something to the two boys. Tyler's eyes widened until they took up most of his face, and Dylan choked on nothing in particular. Feverish whispering flew between the trio. They each sat back, looking a little stunned.

They'd figured them out.

Great.


	11. Chapter 11

When Amanda had gotten everyone's order, she turned to go, but David brushed his fingertips against her arm and she stopped.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, trying not to call attention to the two of them.

"Olivia has a cold, and what I don't have is a babysitter, so she's in the break room on the couch."

"Right now?"

Amanda nodded, rubbing her temples again. "Yeah."

He lowered his voice even more and said, searching her eyes, "You could have called me."

"I knew you were going to the race."

"I would've changed my plans in a heartbeat."

She smiled a little. "I know that too."

"Can I go back there and see her?"

"I'll bring her out here." She saw the panic that flashed through David's eyes. "If you want me to."

"Sure." David took a deep breath. "That'll be fine."

She turned away and gave their orders to the cook before disappearing into the back. A few minutes later, she came back out with Olivia in her arms. The little girl had her head buried in her mommy's shoulder as they crossed the room. David watched them, coming towards him. Amanda reached up and brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, away from Olivia's face. Then they were there beside him.

The entire table went still and silent as David reached up and tickled Olivia in the ribs gently, trying to get her to look at him. Olivia brushed his hand away, as he said, "Hey, Princess."

Olivia, obviously having been woken up from a nap, with messy hair and tired eyes, turned in Amanda's arms and reached for him. "Daddy!"

David had heard her say that for over a month, but it still took his breath away each and every time she did. He reached up and took her in his arms, gathering her close.

"Table 5!" the cook shouted above the din going on around them.

Amanda looked to him to make sure he would be okay. He nodded and she hurriedly did her job at her other tables. No one said a word about either female as Olivia burrowed into David, ignoring the others with him, and fell back asleep.

Now, as she placed each plate in front of the respective person, they each checked her nameplate. And smiled a dopey smile at him. Great. Amanda sent him a small smile and disappeared.

"I'm getting a headache." He mumbled.

"You know," Javi spoke up. "A lot of couples say that they're like that. When one hurts, so does the other."

David almost asked how much pain he could inflict on Carmen by that theory, but he didn't. The warm deadweight of his daughter on his chest kept him silent.

"I've gotta say," Dylan was next, a dry smile on his lips as he addressed Jade. "If that's his definition of friendly, I get why he might be worried."

Jade nodded, smiling.

"That's not what I'm worried about."

"Oh? No?" Dylan asked.

"No. That's not what I'm worried about."

* * *

Amanda went back to the table that David and his friends were sitting at, but this time she was without her nametag and had her purse instead. She unceremoniously dragged a chair over and David scooted over so she could fit in beside him. Her ears were starting to ring from the constant bustle going on around her. She figured that it would take more than the week that she had been working here to get used to the din. Until then she would apparently have to deal with the headaches.

"You clocked out?" David asked.

"Yep. What are you worried about? If you need something I can still go get it."

"No, it's nothing like that. You're fine. One thing I'm worried about is you, your headache. Here."

He brought out a Tylenol and handed it to her. She thanked him and snatched his tea, taking the pill.

"So, what is the other thing you're worried about?"

He sighed, and pointed out the two teenagers at the table. "Dylan Mitchell and Jade Hayes." He looked away for a second. "I put cuffs on her boyfriend a couple of weeks ago, and she's become a social pariah since then. Dylan's her best friend. She's been getting some snide remarks at school over it and Dylan's been trying to help her out. Protect her more like, I think."

Amanda was starting to get the picture. She nodded.

"Do you want me to see what I can do?"

He smiled sadly. "That's up to you."

Amanda nodded, looking around as the others began to get ready to go.

"Hey, David," the man Amanda assumed was Nathan Hayes got David's attention. "We're going to the Mitchell's for ice cream. Are you coming or not?"

Victoria Mitchell looked to Amanda. "There's plenty for the three of you."

Amanda nodded. "Sure, I'll come if David does."

"Sounds good." David answered, easing out of his seat, trying not to jostle their sleeping daughter.

That got him to smile. He slid his hand into hers until they came to the door. He let go to hold the door open for her. She smiled. He always did that, it was one of the things that she loved about him.

In the parking lot, children were scrambling to get to ride with friends, and parents were trying to just get them all in the vehicles without leaving anybody.

David smiled and asked, "Is it okay if I put Olivia in with me?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll leave in a minute, I want to see if I can pick up a passenger myself."

David saw her glance at Jade and smiled encouragingly, giving her hand one more squeeze. "I'll be praying."


	12. Chapter 12

Dylan frowned as he got out of the car. Across the yard, Jade was getting out of Amanda's Camry, but she looked like she had been crying. Both of them did, actually. What was up with that?

As Dylan watched, Amanda and Jade came around to the front of the car and hugged each other. Amanda kept an arm around Jade's shoulders and looked her in the eye, saying something. Jade nodded, Amanda squeezed her shoulder, and they broke apart, heading towards the house.

When Jade noticed that he had been watching them, she turned and came to him. Alone in the yard with her, he put his arm around her shoulders as Amanda had a moment ago and she leaned into him, putting her head on his shoulder. He brought his thumb up and brushed away the last of her tears from her eyelashes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. They're good sad tears."

"What?"

He heard the laughter in her voice because of his confusion. "Sad tears, yes. But good tears, too. Because I know now that we're not the only people this happened to. We're not alone, you know."

"Then where were they these last two weeks?"

"Our parents were the only ones who had any idea that something was going on, and we wouldn't tell them what."

"David knew."

"We wouldn't let him help either. We made it worse for ourselves by not speaking up." She left his embrace to look him in the eye. "Listen, I know we can't go back and change how we handled it, but we can change how it affects us. Let's not be bitter. Let's help others, use it. That's what Amanda just did, that's what David is trying to do in all of this. Okay?"

Dylan considered all of that for a minute before nodding slowly. "Okay."

She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "Thank you."

* * *

Dylan had never been as proud of his father as he was at that moment, when he was up there giving that speech about the resolution on Father's day. When he noticed men standing up around him, Dylan's breath caught. He looked at his mother beside him as she looked around as well, eyes filled with wonder. Tyler caught Dylan's eye. He was beaming, and Dylan could only guess how much this was affecting him, how much it meant to him.

"So where are you men of courage? Where are you fathers who fear the Lord? It's time to rise up and answer the call that God has given you, and to say 'I will'. I will.  _I will."_

His father's words flew across the auditorium and energy and electricity were close behind. It was no longer Adam Mitchell speaking, but God through him. It was a day that Dylan would never forget. It was amazing.

* * *

David looked around their group at the park as Amanda drifted over to Carmen to check on Olivia, who had ridden with them. He caught Jade's eye, and nodded for her to come to him.

When she did, he bent and whispered in her ear, "I forgot to thank you for helping me pick out the ring last month."

"It was fun to help. Have you given it to her yet?"

"The day before you guys met her."

"What? You didn't tell us?"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. But we're going to. Today. Before we leave."

"Good. Well, congratulations."

"Thanks."

* * *

Jade watched how David lit up discussing his engagement to Amanda, and hoped that the others would see it too. They really loved each other, honor played no part in it, she knew that much.

When David turned away, Jade darted over to find Dylan in their crowd. She spilled the whole story to him and Tyler. The three adolescents found a place to sit by each other as the others began to find their seats on the blanket-covered grass as well. None of the three stopped smiling in anticipation.

Olivia took a seat beside Jade, and David sat between Olivia and Amanda.

Jade reached out and touched David's arm. "Don't forget to breath." She reminded the nervous young father.

He nodded, smiling a little at her. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Jade saw Amanda reach over and take his hand, squeezing it.

As a group, they all bowed their heads and prayed for the meal.

"Before we eat," David spoke up, clearing his throat. "I want you guys to be the first to know." He took Amanda's right hand while she held up the left one. "We're engaged."

The beaming couple received rounds of congratulations from all sides and it was a few minutes before anyone actually started eating because of all the talk of the impending wedding. But eventually things did calm down, and Jade saw the weight lift off of both David and Amanda.

When Dylan and Jade were done eating, Dylan asked her quietly, "Did you bring that book?"

"I forgot it at home." She looked at him apologetically.

"A Treasury of the Familiar" was a deteriorating book printed in 1942 that Jade owned. Filled with quotes, Scripture passages, poems, and excerpts from plays and speeches, it was a unique book that had piqued Dylan's interest, and was Jade's personal favorite. Over 700 pages long, the duo often read from it when they had nothing else to do. Not that Dylan would ever admit to it.

"How about a Bible drill instead?" Adam spoke up. "I want to see how long it takes someone to find the word or a variant of the word 'courageous' in the Bible."

"Okay." Dylan agreed along with some of the others and Victoria took a New Testament plus Psalms and Proverbs from her purse and handed it to him.

"Ready?" Kayla asked.

"Get set." Carmen urged.

"Go!" Victoria commanded.

 


	13. Chapter 13

"Found it!" Dylan called out after a minute.

"What'd you find?" Adam asked, leaning to look over his son's right shoulder while Jade looked over his left one.

"Psalms 27: 14. 'Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.'"

"Dylan gets the first piece of cake." Kayla declared, cutting into the cake she had brought.

Dylan paid her no mind, his eyes glued to the verse in front of him. He read it twice more in h is head as words from a gone-by conversation with Jade rang in his ears. "I _t's not like he was going to wait for me to turn seventeen… Nobody's willing to do that anymore…_ "" _If it's in God's plan for you, it'll happen_."

What if it was in God's plan for  _him_? He looked at Jade over his shoulder, his eyes dark and serious. She met his gaze, the same thoughts swirling in her chocolate-colored eyes.

"Let's go swing." He suggested, helping her up off the ground.

He took the Bible that his mother had loaned him and the two of them went to one of the more remote, empty two-swing sets and took it over, not swinging, just sitting. Jade rocked back and forth.

"Has your dad set any boundaries for dating?" Jade asked him.

Dylan shook his head. "It hasn't really been an issue."

"So… you could date. Right?"

"I guess, but I don't want to. I.." he stopped, trying to sort out his tangled thoughts. "I've never really looked at girls, not like that. I've been too caught up with my running to consider it." He swallowed and steepled his hands in front of his mouth, elbows on his knees, looking straight ahead, not daring to look at her. "But you're different."

That statement hung between them, a heavy weight, wrapping around both of them, threatening to strangle if one of them didn't break the silence.

"So are you." Jade said at last. "In a good way."

"I like you." Dylan let that out into the open. "I mean, I really like you. I…" he finally said what had been weighing on his mind. "You said once that no one would be willing to wait for you to turn seventeen. I would." He swallowed, hard. "I am." He chanced to look at her, knowing that her eyes had been on him the whole time. "If you're willing to wait with me."

She smiled at him. "I am."

He released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in a big gust of air, his entire body relaxing. He smiled back.

"Can…" He paused. "Can we pray?"

"Of course." Jade reached for his hand, and he took it.

They bowed their heads together and he prayed, "Lord, we know you've heard us just now. We ask for your help as time passes, whatever happens. Amen."

Jade smiled at him, and asked, "Now what?"

Nothing had changed, but it felt like everything had.

"I thought we were here to swing."

"That works for me. I'll be right back." Jade informed him. "I need music."

She reappeared a minute later and took back her swing, hitting "shuffle" and then "play" as they began to swing. John Waller's "While I'm Waiting" poured out of the device. They both froze, looking at each other.

"Did you do that?" Dylan asked.

Jade shook her head silently, awed.

Dylan smiled, and prayed, his eyes wide open. "All right, God, we get it. Thanks for the reassurance."

They sat there and swung, listening to the music (I will serve you while I'm waiting, I will worship while I'm waiting!), while the adults talked and the kids played. It was a good day.

No one paid much attention to the fire trucks that sped by.

* * *

Six houses.

(Why not seven?)

Fourteen people.

(Why not seventeen?)

"You've been hurt enough."

* * *

Smoke.

Fire.

Confusion.

Charred.

Ruined.

* * *

Flames up.

Lives.

Dreams.

Hopes.

Down.

* * *

Arson.

Revenge.

Arsonist. Dead. Suicide.

* * *

Helpless.

Hopeless.

Alive.

What now?

Prayers.

Together.

* * *

Three cops. A carpenter. A waitress. A preacher. Mothers. Children.

Homeless.

Homeless?

Not if the Mitchells can help it.

* * *

One house.

Seventeen people.

Bruised.

Not broken.

Together.

Praying.

Calm.

Trusting.

God's will.

* * *

Dylan wasn't entirely certain that he wasn't in shock as, later that night; he helped his parents clean up the house, waiting for people to start pouring into their house. To stay for who knew how long, while they rebuilt their lives.

Six houses had been struck and burned to rubble and ashes by an arsonist who had committed suicide at the last site.

As he cleaned his room, in order to keep his brain alive, he named the people who were staying over:

Nathan

Kayla

Jade

Jordan

Jackson

William Barrett, Nathan's mentor

Javier

Carmen

Isabel

Marcos

David

Amanda

Olivia

Bobby Shaw, his father's new rookie partner

 _Wait a second_ , Dylan's thoughts jumped with electricity.  _Jade?!_ He groaned aloud. His timing really stunk. If he had waited even an hour before talking to her, the conversation probably wouldn't have taken place. Now they were going to have to  _live together_.

 _It's no big deal, really_ , he told himself.  _No one knows about the agreement you made, just keep it that way. You'll both be fine._

After quieting his conscience, Dylan wondered into the study, to help his parents there. On the desk there, he caught sight of a note that had been left on their door by the arsonist. "You've been hurt enough," it said.

Dylan began to think negatively, questioning God, and his mood darkened. He paused though, wondering what Jade would think about his attitude. Scripture verses and snippets of her notes to him from the early days of their friendship flew at him, even a couple of poems. He had learned over the past months that, while you could never control your circumstances, you could always control your attitude towards them.

So he began to sing.

"I'm waiting  
I'm waiting on You, Lord  
And I am hopeful."

His parents looked over at him, both startled. What startled him, though, was when they began to sing along. Their voiced flooded the house as they worked together.  
"I'm waiting on You, Lord  
Though it is painful  
But patiently, I will wait."


	14. Chapter 14

When William Barrett got out of his car at the Mitchell household, he thought maybe the day's events were starting to make him hear things. He was positive that he heard singing coming from inside of the house.  
"I will move ahead, bold and confident  
Taking every step in obedience  
While I'm waiting."

William shook his head, considering, as he got his duffel bag of clothes out of his car. He was the first person to arrive. And he knew that he was the most fortunate person who had fallen victim to this dead arsonist. He had been able to get to his house, and into it, rescuing some of his possessions. Also, his assistant pastor had called him while he was on the way here and told him that, as soon as William could find someone to clean it out, the church parsonage was his to move into.

Despite the circumstances, William smiled. And he began to sing along as he walked up the Mitchell's driveway.

"I will serve You  
While I'm waiting  
I will worship  
While I'm waiting  
I will not faint  
I'll be running the race  
Even while I wait  
I'm waiting  
I'm waiting on You, Lord  
And I am peaceful  
I'm waiting on You, Lord  
Though it's not easy  
But faithfully, I will wait  
Yes, I will wait  
I will serve You while I'm waiting  
I will worship while I'm waiting  
I will serve You while I'm waiting  
I will worship while I'm waiting  
I will serve you while I'm waiting  
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord."

* * *

After Pastor Barrett arrived, the others steadily streamed in. Dylan watched as they each got out of their vehicles.

Bobby came first. Like Pastor Barrett, he had been able to get inside of his house and save some of his things. Even so, he was only nineteen, and still considered himself an outsider to the group. His father was dead, and his mom was in a nursing home. And he was terrified.

Dylan was outside when Bobby got out of his car, and he saw all of those things in the young man. He looked up at Dylan, who was still singing, and pulled his bag out of the car, starting towards the house. Dylan followed him inside the house, and directed him to put his things in his parents' bedroom, where he'd be sleeping. When he left Bobby, the rookie was singing.

The Hayes were the last to arrive. Dylan went straight to her, and led her around to the side of the house, out of the way of the others who were getting settled inside. She melted in his arms as he eased down onto the grass, sobbing as he'd never before seen her do.

When at length her tears subsided into sniffles, he asked softly, "How are you doing?"

"Better now." She swiped at her eyes. "I just… had to be strong, helping with the boys. Thanks."

"For what?"

"For being strong for me."

He just nodded, not knowing what to say.

"You know, I really wish I hadn't forgotten my book at home." She was stating a fact, to help herself think straight again, Dylan figured. But he still saw the longing in her eyes. "All I grabbed was this."

She held up a notebook that Dylan hadn't noticed before.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Doodles, and poems I've thought up."

Dylan nodded. He was well aware of her artistic streak.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

"We have to be." Jade answered, straightening up.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, or just to take a minute, tell me. I'll make sure you get it. We're going to be in this together and I'm going to take care of you, I promise."

She smiled at him. "Thank you."

"It could be worse, I guess." Dylan said, contemplating. "We're all alive."

Jade nodded, taking his hand. "I've definitely heard of worse."

"We should probably go inside." Dylan said, standing up. "They might need us."

Jade nodded and stood up beside him, never letting go of his hand. "Together?"

"Together. You're my partner in this, you know. I've got your back."

"We have each other's." Jade corrected.

"And we can't breathe a word about what we said earlier in the park, right?"

"Right."

Dylan nodded and they went inside, unclasping their hands as soon as the porch light brought them into view.

* * *

When Jade stepped into the house in front of Dylan, the first thing she noticed was that the adults were all gathered in the dining room around the table, talking in hushed voices while the five young children occupied themselves in Emily's room. The second thing she noticed was the clock. It was late, far past time for the children to be in bed.

"We should get the kids ready for bed." She told Dylan. "Do you know where everyone is supposed to sleep?"

Dylan nodded.

"We were all at the park." Jade said hollowly, standing in the hallway by Dylan's room. "None of them has pajamas. Toothpaste. Toothbrushes."

Just thinking about it threatened to overwhelm her. Dylan saw, and placed a hand on her arm, the strength in his eyes pulled her own strength to the forefront.

"It'll be okay." He paused, pondering the problems she had just mentioned. "There's a bunch of unopened toothbrushes in a bundle under the sink in the hall bathroom. Take the kids in there and let them pick one out each. I'll see what I can do about PJs."

She nodded, glad to have something to focus on, to have someone take charge. She gathered the five kids together and led them into the bathroom. When the kids had chosen their toothbrushes and brushed their teeth, Dylan appeared in the doorway to the bathroom, clothing draped over his arm.

"Okay, kiddos," Dylan said cheerfully. "Let's see if this stuff will fit you guys."

The kids obediently lined up, even Jackson, who didn't really understand. None of the five did, not really. They just knew that something was wrong, and were being as good as possible, something for which Jade was grateful.

Dylan knelt down in front of the kids and held one of his own T-shirts up to Jackson. For Marcos and Jordan there were a couple of Adam's T-shirts. Jade's breath caught when she saw what Dylan had found for the girls. Two silky, little girl gowns. Emily's.

 


	15. Chapter 15

As Jade took care of getting all the kids into PJs, Dylan took blankets from the hall closest and made three pallets: one in his bedroom for Jordan and Jackson, one in Emily's for Isabel and Marcos, and one in the study for Olivia. Jade came to the study doorway.

"The kids are all in your room. Where do I need to get them laid down?"

"You put your brothers in the pallet in my room and I'll take care of the other three." He answered, pushing up into a standing position from making Olivia's pallet.

Jade nodded, and they went to his bedroom together.

"Time for bed." Dylan declared, leaning against the doorjamb in his room.

"We can't." Marcos objected. "We haven't done devotions."

Dylan looked at Jade, who had picked up Jackson. She looked back at him, shrugging. He was in charge here, apparently.

"Okay." Dylan said slowly. He crossed the room and picked up his Bible from his night stand. He sat on his bed, legs crossed in front of him, resting his back against the headboard. He patted the bed beside him, flipping to the book of Daniel. "Climb on up."

* * *

When Dylan turned on the lamp on his night stand, Jade turned off the main light and sat down on the edge of Dylan's bed with Jackson in her arms, wondering what exactly Dylan was going to come up with. Jordan curled up beside her. Though her younger brother was usually, in her opinion, a bother, tonight he had clung to her, and she found that she clung right back. Protecting him, taking care of him. Tonight he wasn't a bother, he was a brother, her brother, and he and Jackson needed her. Olivia and Marcos sat one on either side of Dylan and Isabel curled up beside Olivia.

Dylan looked in surprise at the youngsters clustered around him, and then, with a small smile, he animated his voice and swept them up in Daniel chapter three: the story of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and the fiery furnace. The muted light, the warmth of her brothers, Dylan's lulling voice, and the utter calm, even peace, of the moment swept over Jade. Dylan glanced up at her just then, feeling her gaze on him as he always did, and she knew that the moment wasn't lost on either of them.

And regardless of what she had said earlier that day (Had it really been that same day?), it was with that moment, with that glance, that she fell in love with Dylan Mitchell.

* * *

Nathan sat between Kayla and Adam at the Mitchell's dining room table, where everyone was at least a little anxious. In the middle of a conversation about whether or not the working people should go back to their jobs the following day, a familiar chorus floated up the hallway from Dylan's room.

"Jesus loves me! This I know,

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong;

They are weak, but He is strong."

Every person at the table froze. The song wasn't sung on key, and some of the words were messed up, but at that moment, it was one of the most beautiful things that Nathan had ever heard.

"Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me! He who died

Heaven's gate to open wide;

He will wash away my sin,

Let His little child come in.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

The Bible tells me so

Jesus loves me! Loves me still

Tho' I'm very weak and ill;

That I might from sin be free

Bled and died upon the tree.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

The Bible tells me so

Jesus loves me! He will stay

Close beside me all the way;

Thou hast bled and died for me,

I will henceforth live for Thee

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

The Bible tells me so!"

The room was silent until after a moment, Nathan bowed his head and prayed aloud.

* * *

Oblivious to everything going on in the other room, Jade saw that Dylan was startled when Isabel asked after their song ended, "Dylan? Are we homeless?"

"No." Dylan answered with certainty.

"Dylan." Jade's tone was one of soft rebuke.

"No, you don't understand what I mean. The word 'home' is like the word 'church'. A lot of people think it means the building, but it doesn't. It means the people inside the building. Isabel, you're houseless. You don't have a house right now, except for living with us all in this one. Your home though is your Mamma, Papa, and Marcos. And they're okay. So you do have a home. Does that make any sense?"

"A little." Isabel answered. "Can we go tell Mamma and Papa 'good night' now?"

Dylan looked to her for another opinion before he answered, "Sure, I guess that'd be okay."

* * *

Dread sat heavily in Javier as the adults wrapped up their "meeting".

He muttered to himself, "The point of coming to America was to  _not_  be homeless."

Isabel rushed up to him and grabbed his arm. "We're not homeless, Papa. Dylan told me so." Javier's eyes flew to Dylan, leaning against the doorjamb. "You and Mamma and Marcos are my home. The house is what burned."

Apparently the entire roomful of people had heard his little girl's remark. Adam smiled at his son, as did Nathan.

Javi felt chastised. "He is right."

* * *

After the children disappeared back down the hallway with their mothers to be put to bed, Adam stepped up to David, who was talking with Nathan.

"Well, David, I'd ask what you thought of your first real Father's Day, but I hate to ask after such an awful day."

David rocked back on his heels, before answering, "Well, Amanda and Olivia are okay, so I'd say it's a good day."

Adam's eyes widened, remembering when Nathan had said the same thing, and he shared a look with Nathan. David's partner just smiled.

"Good answer." Nathan told David.


	16. Chapter 16

"Hey, guys," Amanda spoke up softly when she returned from putting Olivia to bed, knowing that everyone had hoped that everything was settled.

The others turned towards her.

"Aren't we forgetting something? If the men and I are at our usual jobs, and Victoria, Kayla, and Carmen are helping Pastor Barrett at the parsonage tomorrow, who is going to watch the kids? Olivia has her daycare, but the others?"

Jade appeared from down the hallway. "I'll do it."

"All four of them?" Carmen asked doubtfully. "All day?"

Jade nodded.

"That's a lot of work for one person." Kayla informed her.

"Then make it two people." Dylan said, stepping up to stand beside Jade. "We can do it." He addressed Amanda specifically. "We can take care of Olivia, too. All summer if you want. Put the daycare money towards your new house."

Amanda looked at David. He nodded.

"All right. I'm okay with that."

Everyone else slowly agreed.

"Sounds like you have a job, too, now." Amanda remarked to the two teenagers. "You have my prayers."

* * *

Dylan rolled onto his back on his pallet in his parents' room. In the darkness, his eyes were drawn to the alarm clock. He groaned. Two in the morning. The pallet, though, was going to take some getting used to.

He realized that he was thirsty, and since he didn't figure that he was going to go to sleep any time soon, he might as well get a drink. He stood up, walking over the pallet and sliding past Bobby's sleeping form on the floor to get to the door. He crept down the hallway into the kitchen.

As he drank a cup of water, he looked around the dimly lit kitchen. On the refrigerator, there hung a magnetic dry-erase board that his dad had gotten his mom for her birthday. She rarely used it anymore.

An idea struck him.

He dug around in the cabinet drawers until he found the marker that went with the board. He stood in front of the board and began to write.

_The potter knows the clay._

_How much pressure it can take, how many times around the wheel_

' _Til there's submission to his will._

_He's got a beautiful design_

_But it may take some fire and time._

_But it's gonna be okay,_

_Because the potter knows the clay._

In the space he had left on the board he wrote,  _Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. Psalm 66:12_

And then he headed back down the hallway.

When he passed by the study, he thought he heard crying. He stopped outside the door to listen. Yes, someone in the study was crying.

He took mental stock of who was inside that room. David. Amanda. Pastor Barrett.

And Olivia.

Dylan put his hand on the doorknob and silently opened the door. Amanda and Pastor Barrett were each on one of the two couches. David was in the recliner. They were all asleep. Olivia was on a pallet beside the couch where Amanda slept, and that was where the crying was coming from.

Dylan moved on noiseless socked feet across the carpeted room. He knelt by Olivia and placed a hand on her shoulder, whispering her name softly into the silent darkness. Darkness that would seem stifling to a scared four year old.

She turned towards him, jerking away.

"It's me, Dylan." He identified himself quickly and she relaxed. He folded himself onto the floor beside her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm scared of the fire." Came the watery answer.

"it's okay." Dylan promised, wrapping an arm around her. "There's no fire here. The bad guy's gone. There won't be any more fires."

It occurred to Dylan that, because Amanda and Olivia's house was so close to the park, unlike the other children, she had probably seen the fire that devoured her house.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"That fire was big." Olivia said, her voice shaking.

Along with her body, Dylan realized. He pulled her into his lap, and she burrowed close. He got an idea.

"Was it as big as the boogey man?" he asked.

She nodded against his chest.

"Well, guess what? God is bigger than the boogey man. At least, that's what Junior Asparagus says."

"Veggie Tales?" Olivia asked in surprise. "I haven't seen that one."

"There's a whole song about it." Dylan informed her.

"Can you sing it for me?" Olivia asked in a small voice.

Dylan took a deep breath. He hadn't sung the song in about three years, and he didn't remember it all. But he tried anyway. He leaned in close to Olivia's' ear and whispered the song to her:

You were lying in your bed  
You were feeling kind of sleepy  
But you couldn't close your eyes because the room was getting creepy.  
Were those eyeballs in the closet?  
Was that Godzilla in the hall?  
There was something big and hairy casting shadows on the wall.  
Now your heart is beating like a drum  
Your skin is getting clammy.  
There's a hundred tiny monsters jumping right into your jammies!  
What are going to do?  
I'm going to call the police!  
No! You don't need to do anything!  
What? Why?  
Because ...  
God is bigger than the boogie man  
He's bigger than Godzilla, or the monsters on TV  
Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man  
And He's watching out for you and me.  
So, when I'm lying in my bed  
And the furniture starts creeping  
I'll just laugh and say, "Hey, cut that out!"  
And get back to my sleeping  
'Cause I know that God's the biggest  
And He's watching all the while.  
So, when I get scared I'll think of Him  
And close my eyes and smile!  
God is bigger than the boogie man  
He's bigger than Godzilla, or the monsters on TV  
Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man  
And He's watching out for you and me.  
So, are you frightened?  
No, not really.  
Are you worried?  
Not a bit.  
I know what ever's gonna happen,  
That God can handle it.  
I'm sorry that I scared you when you saw me on TV.  
Well that's okay,  
'Cuz now I know that God is taking care of me!  
God is bigger than the boogie man  
He's bigger than Godzilla, or the monsters on TV  
Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man  
And He's watching out for you and me.  
God is bigger than the boogie man  
He's bigger than Godzilla, or the monsters on TV  
Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man  
And He's watching out for you and me.  
Watchin' ...  
Watchin' ...

Watchin' ...  
Out for you and me!"

Olivia had become still against Dylan, and her soft breathing told him that she was asleep. He smiled to himself and laid her carefully back down on her pallet, covering her up. He got to his knees, intending to stand and go back to his own pallet. But while he was there, he decided to pray.

He closed his eyes, bowed his head, and prayed silently. He prayed for the young girl sleeping beside him, for her parents, for Jade and her family, for himself, naming every person under their roof by name. He prayed for Tyler, for Shane, for Derrick. For school friends, for people he didn't know, knowing that God knew them whether he did or not.

His body was stiff when he finally stood and left the room as silently as he had entered, but his heart was soaring. He never noticed William Barrett watching him.

 


	17. Chapter 17

The following morning was one that Jade would never forget.

An early riser by nature, she was up and ready at 6:30. Though she had expected sleep to evade her completely, she had slept remarkably well cocooned in Dylan's sleeping bag. She felt refreshed and ready for the day ahead, yet to think beyond today scared her. It would be day by day for a while, she knew.

When she padded into the kitchen, she realized that she was the only person up as of yet. She brushed her braids back out of her eyes, and looked around the room, unsure of what to do. The dry erase board caught her eye, and she stood in front of it, reading handwriting that was familiar. Dylan's.

The song was also familiar to her. She had been the one to show it to him. The chorus and verse gave her hope, and her fear lifted. She began to pray in her head, unwilling to wake others up. And she got an idea of what to do.

* * *

Dylan glared up at the clock. He had finally slept well after coming back from the study, but, at 6:35, he knew he wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep. He got up and went down the hallway.

He heard Jade before he saw her. She was singing the song that he had taken the chorus on the dry erase board from. And he heard the gentle knocking of pans and plates. He turned into the kitchen to see her making breakfast.

"Morning." He greeted.

She jumped before glancing over her shoulder at him with a smile. "Good morning." She nodded towards the dry erase board. "That was a good idea."

Dylan shrugged. "Can you not tell anyone that I wrote it there?"

Her eyebrows came together, but she complied. "Sure."

"Do you want some help?" he asked.

"Yeah, that'd be great. Can you get some eggs out?"

Dylan reached for the refrigerator.

"Your mom isn't one of those Southern mamas who throws a fit if someone gets in her kitchen, is she?" Jade asked, facing the stove, away from him.

"Nah."

Dylan got out a bowl and began to crack the eggs to scramble them as Jade started on toast and microwaved bacon.

After a minute Dylan mentioned, "We've got some ready to make muffins. Should we get those out?"

Jade shrugged. "Why not. I think we need something to smile about. What's better than a big country breakfast to start your day out right?"

"Amen to that." Dylan smiled

"So…" Jade drawled. "We're parents for a day, today, right?"

Dylan nodded. He heard the nervousness in her voice. "We're in it together though, that has to make it easier. We'll be okay. Part of them is your brothers anyway."

"Promise we're together in taking care of these kids?"

The uncertainty in her voice confused and hurt him. He went to her and turned her around so that she faced him, a hand on each of her shoulders, looking her straight in the eyes. "Of course we are. Partners, remember?" He smiled a little. "'For better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day forward until death do us part.' Do you remember that?"

Jade nodded. "Thanks for the reminder. I guess I'm just nervous about all the kids."

"Me too." He admitted. "But we'll be okay."

She nodded and turned back to preparing the food.

* * *

Carmen stumbled into the Mitchell's kitchen a moment later wearing some of Victoria's clothes. Seeing that it was only Dylan and Jade in the room, she got the feeling that she might have interrupted something.

Jade turned from the stove to look at Carmen, greeting her. Her eyes widened and she whirled back towards the stove, but not before Carmen caught her smiling.

Carmen knew that her eyes were still more asleep than awake, and her hair was a tangled mess. All she wanted was to find some breakfast and lunch for Javi before she went back to bed. Although, it looked like breakfast was being taken care of.

She smiled and remarked to Jade, "Well, aren't you just the little Mrs. Mitchell."

* * *

Jade barely caught her smirk, or the words that sprang onto her tongue. She thought them though.

_You have no idea._

Jade caught Dylan's eye. He smiled at her, and walked over, putting a plate for the scrambled eggs on the counter beside her. He caught both women off guard when he slung his arm around Jade's shoulders.

"Absolutely." He answered cheerfully. "She is, isn't she? Coming in here and starting up a big breakfast like this. I think she'd make a great Mrs. Mitchell."

The look that Jade flashed him was full of unmistakable meaning.

"I don't suppose you're talking about replacing your mother, are you?" Javier asked, coming into the kitchen.

"Never." Dylan replied confidently.

"I'll keep that in mind." Javi said with a scrutinizing smile. "Carmen won't remember it though. Never tell her anything that you want remembered before seven."

"I'll remember that." Jade smiled as Carmen smacked her husband on the arm.

* * *

Carmen went back to bed once Javier left, leaving Dylan and Jade alone again. Once they had the food ready and made sure it would stay warm, Dylan found his Bible in the living room and sat at the kitchen table. Jade joined him, carrying two mugs of coffee.

"I have a feeling that we'll need it." Jade answered his unspoken question.

"Thanks."

"What are you reading?" she asked, leaning over to look.

He scooted his Bible between them, so she could see too. "My devotion." He went on to explain it, and they ended up doing it together. "I usually end with a prayer." He told her. "You don't mind?"

"Of course not."

It felt right to hold each other's hands as he led in prayer about the day ahead, and all that they were facing. They had just lifted their heads when Pastor Barrett walked in.

"Morning." The pastor greeted them, heading straight for the coffee pot.

"Good morning." Dylan and Jade answered.

William looked over at them out of the corner of his eye. "Does Nathan know?"

"Know what?" Jade asked, taking their coffee cups in and rinsing them out.

"That you have someone waiting on you?"

"How do you know about that?" Dylan asked more loudly then he meant to.

Pastor Barrett turned towards him, putting his coffee cup to his lips and leaning against the counter. "I didn't." he raised his eyebrows. "Until now."

Dylan groaned internally.

Pastor Barrett smiled at him. "I'll see what I can do for you."

"You know," Jade interjected. "I really don't think that that's necessary."

"I do." The pastor answered. "Relax. I trust you both. But, please, remember your promise to your father. And keep it."

"Of course." Jade answered.

Dylan's skin crawled with the need to retort. One look at Jade, though, and he didn't. Pastor Barrett paused, reading the dry erase board and smiling at Jade – he thought that she had written it, apparently -, before he went into the living room and Jade sidled up to Dylan.

"You know he only has our best interests at heart." She told him.

"I know." Dylan sighed. "But it makes me nervous."

Jade nodded. "Yeah. But there's really nothing that anyone can do about it now, is there?"

Dylan shook his head. "I guess not."

The rest of the adults flooded the kitchen and dining room then, at or around seven. Pastor Barrett instantly took Nathan aside. Dylan got doubly nervous, but at least they never looked his way. Maybe Pastor Barrett hadn't actually mentioned him by name. He could only hope.

He noticed a few other things too. He noticed that everyone who came in looked at the dry erase board, and that it seemed to make a difference in their attitudes. He noticed that his parents noticed that it was his handwriting. And they liked that fact.

He noticed that everyone was grateful to find breakfast all ready made.

He noticed that Amanda was kind of scary before she had gotten her first cup of coffee.

He noticed that Olivia was an early riser, and that in her he had probably gotten himself a second shadow.

He noticed that Carmen had no memory of their earlier conversation. That was fine with him; it had been a stupid thing to say in front of somebody.

That didn't make it any less of a truth though.


	18. Chapter 18

When the door closed behind the last adult, leaving the youngest seven alone at home, Jade took a deep breath and turned to Olivia and Dylan. None of the other kids were up yet.

Dylan totally startled her when he winked at her. "We'll be okay." He promised.

It was something of a mantra of his, she thought. But it worked. That and prayer, lots of it.

She nodded. "I'm going to go do the dishes." She said hoarsely. "You should probably get ready before the rest of the little savages wake up."

He raised an eyebrow. "Savages? Really? No wonder you expect the worst. And what's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

She raked cynical eyes over his clothes before heading into the kitchen. "I have an excuse for wearing the same clothes I wore yesterday, what's yours?"

"Ouch, Jewel."

She paused at the nickname. She hadn't heard him use it before. "And your hair. I know your mother wouldn't let you outside like that."

"It's bed head, perfectly acceptable bed head."

"Perfectly fixable too." She returned, flipping him with a towel, much to Olivia delight. "You go get to looking civil and Olivia and I will take care of the dishes."

"Fine."

Jade shared a smile with Olivia as Dylan turned down the hallway. Strangely enough she felt better all ready.

* * *

Jade almost screamed when she picked up the phone later that day only to be asked by  _another_  telemarketer, "Is Mr. or Mrs. Mitchell at home?"

She was tired of saying no and going through the whole spiel, so she just said, "This is Mrs. Mitchell and, no, thank you; I don't want whatever it is you're selling. Thank you and goodbye."

Someone chuckled from behind her. Jade whirled around. Dylan stood in the doorway. Victoria stood tall beside him, having just gotten home, looking at her with laughing eyes.

"I would ask how your day went, but now I'm afraid too." Victoria informed her, setting down her purse.

"That was the…" Jade counted mentally. "Fourth telemarketing call of the day."

Victoria nodded. "I understand."

Kayla came up to stand beside Victoria, watching Jade. "How were the boys?"

"Fine." Jackson's still taking his nap. The others are being entertained by Walt Disney. It really was a good day."

"Do you think that you could do it again tomorrow?" Kayla asked. "There's still a day's work at William's place."

Jade glanced at Dylan.

"I'm willing." Dylan answered her unspoken question.

"Then, sure." Jade answered with a smile.

"Great." Kayla said. She sniffed the air. "Is something burning?"

"Oh!" Dylan jumped and darted to the grill outside.

The three women and Jade followed. Dylan mastered the grill like a professional, rescuing their dinner just before it burned. The deputies pulled up just in time for them to see the rescue.

"I'm impressed." Adam said, climbing out of their truck.

"Thanks." Dylan grinned. "But you haven't tasted it yet."

Bobby came up beside Dylan and looked down at the platter of meat. "It looks great. Smells really good. Do you grill a lot?"

Dylan shook his head. "First time. I'm just another one of his apprentices."

Bobby looked confused. "Huh?"

"My dad taught me."

"I did?" Adam asked. "When?"

"When I was watching and you didn't know it." Dylan smiled and went back into the house.

"Kids tend to do that." Victoria said thoughtfully.

Jade was startled when she realized that it was a comment that was directed towards her. What was going through Mrs. Mitchell's mind, she wondered.

After supper was over and done, once the five children were in bed, the adults all crashed in the living room. Jade flopped down onto the floor beside Dylan. She groaned aloud dramatically and leaned back against the wall. Dylan turned his head to look at her, and scooted closer.

"Well, Mrs. Mitchell," Victoria arched her eyebrows from her place beside Adam on the couch, looking towards Jade. "You survived the day. How are you feeling?"

Jade didn't have time to answer before her father asked, "What'd you call her?"

"Private joke." Victoria told him, smiling. She turned back to Jade. "You were saying?"

Jade considered her words carefully. "I can do it." She quickly backtracked. "No, I can't. We can."

She looked at Dylan. He smiled at her, and she smiled back because it felt like the most natural thing in the world to do.

Before anything more could be said, Olivia stumbled from the hallway, squinting at the bright light. Noticing the tears on her cheeks, Amanda moved to go to her. Olivia, though, went straight to Dylan.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and asked in a voice so small that Jade was sure she was the only one who could hear besides Dylan, "Can you sing me the Veggie Tales song again? I had another nightmare."

Compassion filled Dylan's eyes. "Of course." He eased up off the floor and took her in his arms. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He informed the room. Looking at David and Amanda specifically, he said, "We'll be fine."

Then he headed down the hallway, his second shadow in his arms.

After a moment in confused silence, the conversation turned to the plans for tomorrow.

But when Dylan returned to the living room, David asked, "What was that all about?"

"A knee-jerk reaction from last night." Dylan answered stiffly, settling back down beside Jade.

"How so?" Pastor Barrett asked. "I saw what you did last night."

Surprise flashed across Dylan's features before he answered slowly, carefully, "I used to sing that song to my sister when she had a nightmare. Up until she was about six."

The whole group took in a collective breath. Jade reached across the floor, enclosing his hand in hers and squeezing it, falling in love with Dylan Mitchell all over again.

* * *

Pastor Barrett just smiled. He looked over towards her father.

"You remember that list I mentioned?"

William had suggested that Nathan sit down with his daughter and together make a list of characteristics that they wanted her boyfriends and husband to have.

Nathan nodded.

"You're not going to like the outcome."

Nathan sighed. "I know."

Kayla, having been informed of the idea, looked surprised. "Why not?"

"Because she's all ready found a boy that meets all the qualifications." Nathan answered.


	19. Chapter 19

All that Dylan really wanted was to go back to sleep, but he couldn't. Five in the morning, and he couldn't get comfortable on the floor. Giving up, he stood and crept down the hallway, stopping to listen at the study. Once he ascertained that all was well with Olivia, he continued on to the kitchen. First, he stopped at a hall closet and retrieved the large dry erase board that had long been stored there.

He flipped on the stove light and set up the board in an empty corner of the dining room. Then he retrieved the dry erase marker. The first thing he wrote, across the top of the board, was the first point of the resolution. He drew a line under it to partition it off, and under that he wrote the lyrics to a well-known hymn:

 _When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,_  
When sorrows like sea billows roll;  
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,  
It is well, it is well, with my soul.  
It is well, with my soul,  
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

 _Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,_  
Let this blest assurance control,  
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,  
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

 _My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!_  
My sin, not in part but the whole,  
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,  
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

 _For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:_  
If Jordan above me shall roll,  
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life  
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

 _But, Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,_  
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;  
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!  
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

 _And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,_  
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;  
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,  
Even so, it is well with my soul.

He put that in a box of its own, and stared at the empty space that he had left on the board. He prayed in silence.  _God, give me your words._ He got his Bible and stood in front of the stove light scanning the concordance under "fire" in search of a verse.

He found the verse in under three minutes. He'd never noticed it before, but it fit so well that he wrote it on the board:  _And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire was a still small voice._   _– Kings 19:12_

After he was satisfied with the board's content, he moved onto his second, much bigger, and more secret, project.

* * *

When Jade crept into the kitchen over an hour and a half later, she found Dylan all ready hard at work on getting lunches and breakfast together. She breathed in deep, appreciatively, but she ended up sighing.

"Are you okay?" Dylan asked.

"Yeah."

"But…" he probed.

"I don't know what to do about clothes. I have this outfit and a church outfit, and I really don't want to wear that while we're taking care of the kids. I may have to though."

Dylan's eyes narrowed and he motioned for her to twirl. She did, apprehensively.

"You could fit into some of my clothes." He suggested slowly.

Jade sighed. "I don't think that I have a choice at the moment."

"Be right back." Dylan disappeared down the hallway, while Jade continued with the food.

He emerged a couple of minutes later with an outfit draped over his arm. Yellow basketball shorts and a tie-dyed school T-shirt.

"Thanks." Jade smiled and went to change. When she reemerged, she spun again for Dylan, not exactly pleased, but not about to show it. "What do you think?"

Dylan turned to her and shrugged. "You look beautiful."

"Liar." Jade shot back. "I'm not blind."

"But you must be, to think that you're not pretty. Honestly, they're just clothes, I don't really care what they look like. Just so long as your head is the one sticking out of the top."

Jade smiled at him, shaking her head. "How is it that you've never had a girlfriend?"

"I don't want one." He reminded her. "I have you instead."

She smiled softly, wondering how, even in this awful get-up, he had made her feel beautiful.

* * *

William Barrett found the two teenagers exactly how he thought he would. At the tail-end of their morning devotion.

Making his presence known, William asked, "May I show you two something?"

"Sure." Dylan nodded.

William walked over to the table and flipped through the pages of the boy's Bible.

"Isaiah 40:31 says 'But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.' I thought that you both might appreciate that verse."

The kids nodded. Satisfied, William retrieved his coffee and walked over to the dry-erase board. He liked what he saw. Something told him though, that Jade hadn't wrote it, which left Dylan. He was a good young man.

They'd be good together. William looked over at them, finishing up in the kitchen before the others came in. They were all ready good together.


	20. Chapter 20

"What's been bugging you?" David looked across at his partner, sitting in their patrol car.

"It's the third Tuesday of the month."

David shrugged. "So?"

"On the third Tuesday of every month, I've taken Jade out for a father-daughter date. But we need the money for other things now, and I don't know what to do."

"Hm."

David took out his phone, apparently losing interest in Nathan's dilemma. Not so. He texted Dylan.

_Nate-Jade date night?_

The reply came soon.

_J not wanna mention 2 N_

David raised his eyebrows.  _Help?_

_U no it_

_How?_

_Leave it 2 me_

_Idea?_

_Picnic_

David smiled.  _Tell N?_

_Sure_

_J?_

_Surprise_

David shook his head. "He's good."

Nathan glanced at him. "Who is?"

"Dylan."

"What did he do this time?"

David fought against rolling his eyes. "He's getting a picnic together for you and Jade, but it's supposed to be a surprise for her."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and you shouldn't be so surprised."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. He's a good guy. He really cares about her."

Nathan stiffened. "They're fifteen."

"His birthday was last month and hers is in, what, August?"

"And that matters how?"

"It doesn't really. Just time going by. But right now that all that they need. To get closer to her birthday."

"What's turning sixteen got to do with anything?"

"I'm not talking about this birthday. I'm talking about the birthday after that. When she turns seventeen."

A look of fear flashed over Nathan. "You don't think they'd start dating or anything, do you?"

"I know they would." David answered. When he really thought about it though, he said, "You know, I'm not sure that they would. They would probably consider it courting. I said that right, didn't I?"

"Courting is when you intend to get married. They're fifteen. You can't have that opinion now."

"To each man his own opinion." David replied. "And, honestly, I think that's the direction they're heading in. I mean, think about it. What one teenager reached out to and stood by Dylan after Emily died? What one person defended Jade at their school after Derrick's arrest? Shoot, Nathan, who helped her that day, who was the one person who got through to her that day? Who held her while she cried, then and on Sunday night, for that matter?" He paused before saying, "And I'm just going to throw this out there, do with it what you want. Who's the one person who's been sleeping well since the fire?"

"Jade."

"What has she been sleeping in?"

"A sleeping bag."

"Dylan's, right?"

That gave Nathan pause. "You think that makes a difference?"

"Maybe." David nodded. "I don't know. Like I said: do with it what you want."

"I guess you're probably right. I mean, what he said at that 5k?"

"What you said to him." David pointed out, smiling at his partner as Nathan parked the patrol car at the Sheriff's department.

Nathan hung his head and David laughed when he started beating it against the steering wheel before they got out of the patrol car. "Yeah. That was stupid of me, wasn't it?"

"What was stupid?" Adam asked, as he and Bobby got out of the other car.

"What I told Dylan at the 5k."

Adam looked at David. "Do I want to know what started that conversation?"

David answered as the four men headed into the locker room. "Their date."

"Who's date?" Adam asked in loud disbelief.

David tried not to laugh, and looked at Bobby, asking, "Can you just…?"

Bobby slapped Adam in the back of his head.

"Yeah. That." David said, smirking. "Nathan and Jade's date. Just relax, okay? You two need to learn to trust your kids."

"We do." Adam argued.

"Then act like it."

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Jade turned to look at her father, who had asked the question. "Getting dinner ready."

"It's the third Tuesday." Nathan pointed out.

"We don't have the money right now." Jade said, dropping her eyes.

"But you do have a picnic basket for two." Dylan appeared from around the corner and held the basket out to her, smiling.

Jade took the basket and looked inside it. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, sweet tea, and snack cakes under a picnic blanket. Not a four course dinner, but it was the thought of something normal that appealed to her the most anyway.

She beamed at the two in the doorway, before addressing her dad, "Well, come on. What are we waiting for?"

He smiled and, after grabbing a note pad and pen, headed for the door. Jade went to follow him, but hesitated as she went past Dylan. She took a step back and looked him in the eye.

"Thank you."

She gave him a kiss on the cheek and hurried after her dad.

* * *

Jade took the notepad and pen that her father handed her, knowing instantly what went at the top of the list.  _Loves God more than anything (because then he can love me)_

Secondly came,  _Knows how to win_ and _treasure my heart_

She felt more than saw her father smile as he read over her shoulder. The third and fourth things that came to mind were entirely her own.

_Willing to wait_

_Swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath (James 1:19)_

* * *

Nathan watched as his daughter poured one thought after another out onto the paper, margins and all. He occasionally added a comment or condition, but for the most part she had it under control. He was glad.

Once they had finished and discussed the list, Jade surprised him by making another. She wrote the name of every boy that she knew on a fresh piece of paper. And instantly crossed off all but a few. She was seeing which boys fit the qualifications. One by one, the other names were crossed off until only one remained unmarked.

Nathan looked closer, and his heart almost stopped when he saw whose name glared up at him.

_Dylan M_

"Give me that."

Nathan reached for the first list and mentally checked off each condition, comparing them with Dylan. Even though he didn't want her to be, his daughter was right. He didn't say a word, he didn't have to. He rested his cheek on his fist and looked dryly at his daughter. She smiled back at him, as pretty as ever.


	21. Chapter 21

"So, how are you doing?"

Jade bit her lip, considering this question from her father. He would expect the most honest answer that she knew how to give him.

"I'm doing okay." She smiled when she said it, thinking of Dylan, and using his catchphrase.

"Are the kids too much for you?"

"It's not just me, Dylan's there too."

"Don't remind me."

Jade decided to ignore that comment. "Olivia started calling Dylan 'D two' today."

"What is that?"

"Daddy Two."

"After two days?"

"She and Marcos follow him around all the time." Jade added softly, "She reminds him of Emily."

"I thought as much." He cleared his throat and asked, "So, you like your taste of parenthood so far?"

Jade nodded. "I do."

Her dad paused before asking, "How about that taste of married life?"

Jade choked on her tea. That was the one question that she had expected him to leave alone, although, come to think of it, she had no idea why.

"It's nice." She answered, trying to make the phrase sound less vague then it really was.

"Something you'd like to have in your future?"

"Get married? Sure."

Nathan tilted his head to the side, studying her. "Is Dylan someone you'd want in that future?"

"He is my best friend." Not really an answer.

He sat up straight, asking, "Jade, who do you think my best friend is?"

"Mr. Mitchell." She answered confidently.

He shook his head. "Nope. Try again."

"David?"

He leaned forward as if he was going to share some great secret and said, "Your mom."

Jade tried not to roll her eyes. "I knew that. It's just never referenced like that, so I didn't think of it."

Nathan nodded. "Here's the thing," he paused. "I'll be honest, it makes me a little nervous sometimes, you two being at that house without supervision."

Jade laughed. "Without supervision? There are five kids there too, four of whom have very big eyes and ears. And mouths. Believe me when I say that we do have very good supervision."

"True enough." Nathan nodded.

"And as far as that goes, what about us?"

"What about you guys?"

"We have to live with what we do too, you know. I know people think, 'Oh, crazy, thoughtless teenagers', but, Dad, if you can trust us with five young children, shouldn't you trust us with ourselves first? I mean, it's not like we don't know better." Jade grinned to herself, deciding not to add that David and Amanda had seen to that. "We get Scripture poured into us, and that comes through in our thoughts. What about Proverbs 27:17? 'Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.' That's what we've been doing, long before the fires. Trying to keep each other on track in everything. Please, trust us."

"I do trust you, sweetie, I just slip some times. Maybe we should work on sharpening me too."

"I need you to trust Dylan too." She requested softly.

Her father sighed. "I do, believe it or not. But, sweetheart, you're my little girl, and I don't care how many boys try dating you, I'm not gonna think that a one of them is good enough for my baby." He paused before saying, "But Dylan's the closest any boy has ever come to good enough."

Jade smiled. "I guess that's good, isn't it?"

Nathan grinned back. "Good for you, bad for me."

* * *

Dylan stuffed his secret project under the entertainment center and looked up from his usual after-supper seat on the floor as Jade and Nathan came through the door. Both were smiling, so that had to be good.

"How was it?" Kayla asked.

"Good food, good company, good conversation. Same old, same old." Nathan answered, carrying the basket towards the kitchen.

"What did you talk about?" she asked.

"Boys." Jade answered, settling down beside Dylan.

"There was almost no plural to that conversation." Nathan corrected her, coming into the room.

Dylan felt his eyes widening as he looked at Jade. "And what conclusion came out of that conversation?"

"You're good for me, bad for him, and the closest thing to good enough that there's ever been." Jade answered. Then she gasped with glad surprise, and bolted out of the room.

Seeing his father's look, Dylan answered at the same time Nathan did, "Poem."

Nathan looked at him in surprise, but, mercifully, he didn't comment.

"Closest thing to good enough." Adam nodded. "That sounds about right for Daddy's girl."

"You know," Dylan said. "I think that having a daughter must be something like a relay race."

"How's that?" Adam asked.

"A lot of ways. For one, and for my purposes, there are two runners in the race, but the anchor runner always gets more credit than the first, even though they both did the same amount of work, both affected the outcome equally. And the timing of passing off the baton. That's mostly on the first guy. You try giving it to the second guy before he's ready? That baton is going straight into the dust."

"He could pick it up though, couldn't he?" David asked, catching on.

Dylan nodded. "He could, but it messes up your running and deducts points. I'm not saying that the guy couldn't win the race, because he could. But both runners would always wonder how much better it could have turned out. So, I guess my point is," He dared to look at Nathan. "Just don't let go until you think your anchor runner is ready."

"I'll remember that." Nathan replied.

Dylan wasn't sure if that was a threat or not, but he knew he saw some respect in Nathan's eyes. Jade came back down the hallway, carrying her "doodles and poems" notebook. The way she was looking at him stole his breath away. She walked across the room and sat back down beside him. She put her pen to her paper and he looked over his shoulder as she wrote "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

Dylan smiled at the question, and looked at the poem that she had just written. Under the title "The Closest Thing", she had written "by Jade Mitchell". Dylan pointed to the name as his answer. She grinned.

The grin turned into a wide yawn. She stretched and rested her head on his shoulder. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Did William leave all ready?" she asked.

"Yeah." Her mom answered. "About a half an hour ago."

Nathan asked, "So what are your ladies plans for tomorrow?"

Bobby spoke up. "That apartment that I went to take a look at worked out, so I was hoping, maybe, you ladies would be willing to take a couple of days to get it done up."

That was quickly affirmed by Victoria, Kayla, and Carmen.

"Looks like we're back on full-time parenting duty." Dylan spoke to the girl beside him. She didn't answer. "Jade?"

"She's asleep." Kayla grinned at her daughter.

Dylan sat there for a minute as the others talked. Eventually, he moved carefully out from under Jade and picked her up, her head resting on his chest. Nathan looked surprised as he watched. Dylan headed down the hallway with Jade in his arms, deciding to ignore the fact that Amanda had her hawk-eyes glued to him.

He carried her into his bedroom and laid her down on his sleeping bag, as carefully as he could. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you too, Mrs. Mitchell."


	22. Chapter 22

Nathan walked across the room and picked up Jade's notebook. Curious, he flipped to the poem that she had just written. But verse wasn't what caught his eye. Instead he saw the words "Do you have any idea how much I love you?" written in his daughter's hand. He snapped the book shut and headed down the hallway, suddenly wanting Dylan out of that bedroom.

He got to the doorway of the bedroom in time to see Dylan lean over his sleeping baby girl and give her a kiss on the forehead.

Nathan froze, and his heart stopped when he heard the boy say, "I love you too, Mrs. Mitchell."

He turned into the room across the hall, waiting until Dylan had passed by to follow him.

"Did you hear that?" Dylan asked, folding himself back onto the living room floor and taking a notebook and pencil out from under the entertainment center. He opened it and began to write in it.

"I did." Nathan answered. He looked at Kayla, who nodded her compliance to his unasked question. "And you know what, I give up."

"Give up on what?" Dylan looked up from the notebook, confused.

"I think… that you're ready to… for me to allow you to… start reaching out for that baton. I give you my blessing to take your relationship with my daughter so far as your conscience will let you right now. Starting now. You don't have to wait. I trust you both."

Dylan sat back, leaning against the wall, looking at him with dark, solemn eyes, project abandoned, taking in what Nathan had just said. As Nathan had expected, Dylan's hands came up, steepled in front of his mouth. The entire room sat in silence, waiting for Dylan to say something.

"Can I tell her?" Dylan finally asked. "In my own time?"

His question confused Nathan, but he nodded anyway. "Sure. I don't see why not. I figured you'd want to tell her right away."

Dylan looked at the notebook in his lap, though it was clear that he didn't really see it. His thoughts were in a place that Nathan was sure was a million miles away.

At length, Dylan answered the indirect question. "I just need to think. I… don't want to hurt her. I have to be sure that I want this."

"A. I thought you were. B. You're fifteen. You don't have to have everything ironed out right now. Far from it. C. I'm stating the fact that you have that option, not that you have to take it." Nathan answered.

"I am sure. I guess. But if I'm gonna date somebody; I want to be able to imagine a life spent with them. And, so much can happen while getting from here to wherever and whenever we were to…" He trailed off and took a deep breath before turning to his dad. "Can I go sit on the porch for a little while? With the laptop? "

"Sure, Buddy. Take your time."

Dylan nodded, grabbed the device, and went outside.

* * *

Dylan brought up Facebook and logged into his mom's page, messaging another "Barrett" of sorts in his life that he had recently gotten to know, Caleb Holt.

_It's Dylan. Can we talk?_

Caleb came back a moment later.  _Not like I was sleeping or anything. That's all I ever do on off days. Not so bad when you think about it. You wouldn't believe the number of people who think I'm good for advice on those days. Anyway, fire away. Father Holt is now hearing your confession._

Dylan smiled.  _Nathan just gave me permission to date Jade. What do I do?_

_That's a question? Man, go for it!_

_It's not that simple. We're living together right now. Watching the kids by ourselves._

_Sounds like you're all ready married. GO. FOR. IT._

Dylan shook his head ruefully.  _I've got that part. Any real advice?_

_Just don't mess up. Nathan is a Marine. And I work with his brother, you know Michael._

_I know all of that. That's my point. I don't want to hurt her. And not because of Nathan. Or Michael. I really like her._

_What? You think that David and Amanda are going to let you just run when things get hard? Her parents? Yours? Tyler? Barrett? Bobby? ME? Shall I continue?_

_I'm scared of when it gets hard._ Dylan admitted.

_Hard as in a death in the family, or hard as in being a social pariah, or hard as in a crazy arsonist?_

_Point taken. I'm gonna go for it. But what do I do?_

_Don't ask me, I'm bad at that stuff. Give me a second._

A minute later another message from Caleb popped up.  _Catherine here: You can never go wrong with roses. But you need to let her know what's changed first. Then go for the roses._

_Thanks, guys. I'm gonna do what you said. Night._

_Night. Good luck, Romeo._

Dylan shook his head and shut the laptop, looking up at the stars instead. A minute later, Amanda stepped out into the warm Georgia air and sat in the other rocking chair on the porch.

"Shadow?" Dylan asked her.

"Who?"

"Olivia. Jade says she's become my second shadow, so… Shadow."

Amanda smiled at that, answering, "Not yet. Maybe she'll sleep through the night tonight."

"I hope so, for her sake."

"Whatcha looking at?" Amanda changed the subject.

"Stars."

"Whatcha thinking?"

"I'm gonna go for it. I'll tell her in the morning, and see if she's willing to try it."

"She is."

"You sure?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure."

Dylan smiled as a weight lifted off of his shoulders. But without warning, his thoughts took a turn. Her birthday. It was becoming increasingly apparent to him that there was no way to get what he had wanted to do done in time, so he turned to Amanda.

"What should I get Jade for her birthday?"

She looked surprised by the question. "Well, you can never go wrong with jewelry."

"Like what? I am really not good at that kind of stuff."

"Well, she likes gold, doesn't she?"

"Yeah. Yeah!" The computer was reopened, and Dylan went to searching.

He never noticed when Amanda stood up and went back inside, reporting to the others.


	23. Chapter 23

Dylan was the second one up the next day, after Jade. He took a deep breath at the end of the hallway and walked through the kitchen into the dining room.

While Jade sang along with the song coming out of her Mp3 player and fixed breakfast, apparently without noticing him, he wrote out the second point of the resolution:  _I will love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home._

Next he wrote out the lyrics of a song:

 _We pray for blessings_  
We pray for peace  
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep  
We pray for healing, for prosperity  
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering  
All the while, You hear each spoken need

 _Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things_  
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops  
What if Your healing comes through tears  
What if a thousand sleepless nights  
Are what it takes to know You're near  
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

 _We pray for wisdom_  
Your voice to hear  
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near  
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love  
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough  
All the while, You hear each desperate plea  
And long that we'd have faith to believe  
When friends betray us  
When darkness seems to win  
We know the pain reminds this heart  
That this is not, this is not our home  
What if my greatest disappointments  
Or the aching of this life  
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy  
And what if trials of this life  
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights  
Are Your mercies in disguise

Finally, he wrote out a Scripture verse.  _And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Psalms 9:10_

He took a step back to view his work and the words that Jade was singing caught his ear.

"Say that it's gon' be all right

That it's gon' be okay, don't run away

Will you say okay?"

He walked up to stand behind her as the song ended and wrapped his arms around her waist, propping his chin on her shoulder, so his mouth was next to her ear. "Okay."

She jumped, whirled around to face him, and pulled out the ear buds, all at the same time. "What do you think you're doing?"

He shrugged. "Listen, we need to talk."

Her brow crinkled. "About what?"

"I had a talk with your dad last night."

"Yeah, I heard what you said about the race."

"We talked more after you went to sleep."

"Okay."

"The gist of it was, he told me that it would be okay with him for us to date. Now. If you want to."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

He nodded, nervous despite Sunday's conversation. "Really."

* * *

His daughter's thrilled scream split the air. Nathan groaned aloud and flipped onto his stomach in Dylan's bed, putting his pillow over his head. Beside him, Kayla patted his arm comfortingly.

He promised the sheets, "If that boy hurts my little girl, he's gonna learn more about tasers then he ever cared to know."

He felt Kayla shake with laughter at him. He groaned again, before pulling the blankets over his head.

* * *

Victoria flinched at the scream that resonated through the house. She closed her eyes and moved closer to her husband, burrowing her head in his shoulder, trying to block out what the scream meant.

Adam wrapped his arms around her and said into her hair, "You'll still have him for a couple of years at least. And you'll always have me."

She laughed despite herself. "That's great to know. Really, it is. But I still miss the little boy who believed in cooties."

Then she absently wondered about reminding him of exactly how many people she expected to be in their house during those two years.

* * *

David sat straight up as a scream came from the kitchen. "I guess that means he got a good answer."

Amanda sighed sleepily from the other couch and nodded her head. "Ya' think?"

David lay back down, smiling. "Here goes nothing."

* * *

Dylan beamed and picked Jade up off the floor, spinning her around in a circle. She laughed at the completely uncharacteristic move, and threw her head back, feeling the air stir around her until he set her back down on her feet.

"Anybody ever tell you you're beautiful?" Dylan asked.

"Maybe once or twice." She smiled up at him. "But we still have stuff to do. Like not burn everybody's breakfast."

He let go of her waist and she turned back to the stove. He took a deep breath and went to do his usual part of the cooking. Nothing would change, but, at the same time, everything just had.

* * *

Wednesday night at church posed a problem, because they couldn't dig up enough Bibles for everyone. So Jade did what was becoming as easy as breathing for her – she relied on Dylan. They sat side by side, each propping up one half of his Bible.

Neither one of them noticed the looks that they were given, heads bent together over the Bible, as close as Nathan was to Kayla, Adam to Victoria, Javier to Carmen, and even David to Amanda.

* * *

As soon as the service was over, Dylan flipped to a passage that he wanted to take another look at, and Jade leaned back over to look as well. Victoria took the opportunity to take her camera from her purse and snap a photo of the duo from a few rows behind them. She looked at the photo for a second and then back up at the two kids, staring long and hard while they were both completely oblivious.

It was almost symbolic, the three things that she had captured on the camera, the things that she saw in front of her. Dylan, Jade, and the Bible. The two teenagers were still together and still bent over the Bible, looking at it and searching through it.

And Victoria had a feeling that it was going to be like that for a very long time to come.

She sighed and looked away. She saw Nathan looking at them too, and by the look on his face, she had a feeling that her opinion wasn't an exclusive one.


	24. Chapter 24

Caleb Holt wove his way through the church towards Dylan Mitchell until he was by the teenager's side.

"So how did it go?" he asked.

Dylan smiled. "Very well, actually."

"Good. And, hey," Caleb leaned in close and said softly, "You two look pretty good together today."

Dylan's smile widened and he shot back, "You just give me a couple of years."

Caleb's eyebrows went up. "I'll remember to do that."

"Please do."

Caleb shook his head to himself as he watched Jade slide up to Dylan as they left the church building. Those two were going to be something worth keeping an eye on.

* * *

Dylan was still wide awake, with his eyes closed, when his parents slipped into their bedroom later that night. They were talking about something in grave tones, assuming that they were as close to alone as they were going to get, since he appeared to be asleep and Bobby was sleeping in the study.

"We have to tell him soon, you know." Victoria whispered loudly as soon as the bedroom door was closed behind them.

"I know." Adam replied. They sounded weighted down, worried. "I'm worried about him though. I mean, how do you think he's going to take it?"

 _What is "it"? Are they talking about telling me something?_ Dylan wondered.

Even though he knew that it was wrong, he kept his eyes closed and listened.

"I don't know." Victoria answered at length. "But we can't hide it much longer. Carmen and Kayla all ready figured it out."

"What?"

"Well! Like I said, I can't hide it much longer."

Dylan got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew that his mom hadn't been feeling well, but he had thought it was just the stress of everything that had recently gone on. But it sounded like something was really wrong with her. He closed his eyes all the tighter, trying not to move a muscle.

"You have another appointment with the doctor tomorrow right?" Adam was asking.

"Yeah."

"And you're going to find out which it is?"

His mom's voice grew all the heavier. "Yeah."

"We can wait until tomorrow night then. That way he won't worry if it isn't necessary. And on the off chance that-"

"It's not an off chance." Victoria interrupted. "It's a fifty percent chance."

"I know."

"Adam, I don't know if I could handle that. Not this soon."

"I know, sweetheart, but what are we supposed to do? It is what it is, and that's all that there is to it. Unless you would want an abortion."

The word screamed at Dylan, immobilizing his brain.  _She's pregnant!? No. No. No! NO!_

Victoria sniffled. "Of course not. You know better than that."

"You're right. Besides, I'd never be able to look at David again. Or Amanda or Olivia. And no matter what, boy or girl, this baby isn't going to be a replacement child, ever. There will never be another Emily, but we should love this baby for the person that it is and will become."

"Dad?" Dylan spoke up softly, feeling more uncertain than he had in a long time and propped himself up on an elbow.

"Dylan." He heard the jump in his father's voice. "Come here, son."

Dylan got up from his pallet and sat on the bed by his dad. His mom moved from her side of the bed until she was sitting on his other side. Dylan sat there between them, suddenly feeling very young and inexplicably frightened.

"You heard us?" Adam asked.

Dylan nodded.

"What do you think?" Victoria asked after they had sat in silence for a minute.

"I – I don't know. There's nothing that we can really do about it. We all know that much."

His father smiled at him a little. "So, what's the verse for this situation?"

Dylan thought for a second. "The first thing that comes to mind is Psalms 139:13. 'For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.'"

"Sounds like everything is covered then." Adam said with another small smile.

The tension in the room ebbed considerably.

"So…" Dylan turned to his mother. "How much longer do we have?"

"Somewhere around November 18." Victoria answered.

"You know," Adam brought Dylan's attention back to him. "Your mother and I were wondering if you'd like to choose the name for this baby."

Dylan took a deep breath and forced himself to smile at his dad. "Sure. That would be great."

"Great." Adam replied.

Both of his parents hugged him and he slipped back down to his pallet. As he knew it would, sleep evaded him completely and finally, at four in the morning, he got tired of laying there and went into the kitchen with his Bible. He sat at the kitchen table and prayed and read and prayed some more.

At length, two hours later, he shut his Bible, rubbed his burning eyes, and went to stand in front of the dry erase board. Picking up the marker, he turned it around and around in his hand, thinking about everything and about nothing.

After a minute of standing there, he wrote out the third point of the resolution:  _I will be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me._

After another minute's thought he wrote out the lyrics of a song.

 _My boat of life sails on a troubled sea_  
Whenever there's a wind in my sail.  
But I have a friend who watches over me  
When the breeze turns into a gale.

 _I know the Master of the wind._  
I know the Maker of the rain.  
He can calm a storm, make the sun shine again.  
I know the Master of the wind.

 _Sometimes I soar like an eagle through the sky_  
Above the peaks my soul can be found.  
An unexpected storm may drive me from the heights  
Brings me low, but never brings me down.

Next, at the risk of people figuring the situation out, he wrote out Matthew 19:14.  _But Jesus said, Suffer the little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for such is the kingdom of heaven._

He laid the marker down and bowed his head where he stood, praying one more time.  _God I bring these verses that I've found to You. I don't know if I can accept this without You. Help me to love this little girl. Amen._

He lifted his head considering what he had just prayed for.  _Did I just pray that it would be a girl? No, it's just a feeling._

And it was true. He did have a feeling that it was a girl. After all, God was a God of second chances, hence the song on the board.

"A girl." He said aloud. "Another sister. Not an 'it'." He paused hesitant to voice his name of choice even to himself.

Saying it would make it real. And that was why he didn't want to say it, but it was also why he did.

"Bethany Anne Mitchell."


	25. Chapter 25

That afternoon found the four youngest kid s in their respective rooms, taking their naps and Jordan coloring in the living room. It was Dylan and Jade's down time during the day, and she went in search of him. She found Dylan in his parents' bedroom, folding a load of towels. She smiled to see him doing something so domestic. She hadn't figured that he would be that type. But then, she knew that Emily's death had changed him.

Jade crossed the room to stand on the other side of the bed, starting to fold as well.

She asked carefully, looking at his faraway expression, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

His answer came too quickly, and she knew that he wasn't okay. But she also knew to give him time. He would talk about it eventually. So she moved on to another question.

"Is your mom feeling all right? She looked a little pale this morning."

"Yeah."

Also to quick.  _Hm._

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." His peevish tone gave her pause, so she changed the subject once again.

"What was with the board today?"

"It was what I felt like putting, I guess."

"But why? There's always a reason for what you put down, it has a reason, and it's applicable. Matthew 19:14 wasn't. Isn't." And then it hit her. She looked up at his downcast eyes and added suggestively, "Unless there's something going on that I don't know about."

"And you know what?" He snapped at her and threw the towel onto the bed, glaring fiercely at her. "It's none of your business either."

He stalked out the door, leaving Jade a little flabbergasted and more than a little bit hurt. She watched him leave before she bit her lip and turned back to the towels. She knew that if he was half the person she thought he was, he would be back after blowing off some of his steam.

Another thing that she knew was that something was most definitely going on.

She heard the front door open, and she listened to see if it would close behind him. He was probably going for a sprint. But the sound didn't come for a long minute and when it did, it was a simple close, not the slam she had expected. Then his footsteps came back down the hall. He stood in the doorway, shifting from one foot to the other.

"I'm sorry if I was prying." Jade offered.

"And I'm sorry I snapped at you." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It's been… ah, I got some unexpected news last night, that's all. I shouldn't have taken that out on you."

She smiled and crossed the room to stand in front of him. "And I should learn to take the hint." He had yet to look at her, so she tapped his shoulder until he looked her in the eye. "I forgive you. It happens. We're human; we can't get along all the time. And that's all right. As long as we admit we're wrong and say sorry."

Now he smiled. "Thank you."

She kissed him on the cheek before they returned to the towels. "Any time."

A minute passed in companionable silence before she asked hesitantly, "You'd tell me if something was really wrong, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah. And… nothing is really wrong, it's just… something that we weren't at all prepared for. But no one is technically sick. If I could tell you I would and I wish I could."

"Dylan," she asked softly. "Is your mom… you know, going to have a baby?"

"Oh, thank you!" he gasped with relief.

Then he nodded. Jade rounded the bed, just so that she could stand by him.

"When?"

"In November."

"Do they know if it's a boy… or girl?"

"They're going to find out today."

"Oh, Dylan, no wonder… When did they tell you?"

"I overheard them last night. They were going to wait until they knew which it was. No," He flinched. "Not 'it'. Bethany. Or Seth. But I think Bethany."

"Do you want a sister?" That thought surprised her, surprise that came through in her voice.

Dylan laughed dryly. "I don't even know if I want  _any_ baby around, at least another sibling of my own. Too risky."

Jade considered that. "You do understand that i-Bethany is coming whether or not you want her, or him, here, right?"

"Of course."

"And your reasoning is that it's too risky, right?"

"That's what I said."

She licked her lips before saying carefully, "Dylan, our fathers are  _deputies_  in the  _sheriff's department._  They carry guns and tasers around all day, and those things aren't for decoration. It's a dangerous job. It's risky. And yet – you still love your dad."

"That's different."

"How?"

He sighed. "If something happens to them, it's not really out of the middle of nowhere. We know that they're going to occasionally get hurt."

"So are siblings. They're no more immortal than anyone else. They're going to fall. They're going to get scraped up. They're going to get broken bones and hearts and everything else." She rested a hand on his arm as her tone softened. "And, just like everybody else in the entire world, one day, they're going to die."

"I know." He looked over at her. "I guess I just needed a reminder."

She winked at him, trying to rid the room of their somber emotions. "Everybody does once in a while. It's what I'm here for. That and anything and everything else."

He laughed once, taking her totally by surprise when he made the seemingly random remark, "Captain Holt was right."

"Do what?"

"Captain Holt. He said that this situation made it seem like we were all ready, well, um, married. And look at us. Taking care of a house, kids, five of them," He held up a towel. "And laundry. Arguing, apologizing, laughing, lecturing."

Jade started laughing.

"I mean it!" Dylan smiled at her, laughing a little himself. "I might as well just propose right now! What would it change? Honestly?!"

Jade's smile dimmed a little as she considered that.

"Really," Dylan said. "It'd only be setting something in stone. Isn't that where this is headed, with what we agreed to in the park? Well, that's null and void now, it doesn't matter. But, honestly, I can see that."

Jade nodded in agreement; suddenly shy around this young man that she knew so well. Dylan tapped her on the shoulder and she looked up at him.

"It happens. We're human. And that's all right. As long as we admit it."

She dared to say, "But you haven't."

A look of surprise flashed through his eyes. "Well, not where you've heard me. But I do."

She arched an eyebrow, torturing him now.

He smiled at her. "Jade Hayes, I love you."

She smiled. "I love you too."


	26. Chapter 26

Dylan's eyes flew to the door when he heard women coming up the walkway into the house. But when the door opened it was only Kayla and Carmen.

"What happened next?" Marcos asked from his place beside Dylan on the couch.

Dylan stifled an anxious sigh, smiled at the boy and turned back to the story he was reading the kids. Jade caught his eye from the kitchen doorway. Hers was the same look that he had given her in the hallway on the night of the fires. She was willing him strength. He smiled at her, telling her that he was all right. She returned the smile and turned back into the kitchen where she was getting things out to fix dinner.

"Where are  _mis ninas_?" she called out.

Carmen looked up in surprise as Isabel and Olivia hopped off of the couch, calling out that they were coming. Dylan couldn't help but smile when he saw Kayla look between the two groups of people. Dylan with the three boys on the couch reading a story and Jade in the kitchen with the girls, instructing the girls to wash their hands before they did anything else.

"You've just got yourself a little family going here, don't you?" Kayla asked, going into the kitchen.

"Absolutely." Dylan heard the smile in her voice when Jade answered.

Again Dylan looked to the door when the deputies entered. Minus his father. Dylan arched an eyebrow in questioning at Bobby.

"He took off early to do something with your mom." Bobby answered.

Dylan nodded. Of course he would have went with her.

"What about the story?" Marcos demanded.

"Oh, sorry." Dylan forced himself to concentrate on the pages in front of him.

It was only a couple of minutes later when Javier opened the door with Amanda right behind him. There was still no sign of his parents.

When they finally did get home, Dylan was a little dumb-founded when his parents walked into the living room, smiling, arms loaded with bags - bags full of pink baby clothes.

"So is it good news or bad news?" he asked.

"It was always going to be good news." Adam informed him.

"True." Dylan clambered up off the floor to take the bags his mother was carrying. "I just can't sat that I was expecting all of" He waved his free hand at the bags and smiles. "This."

"We would have been back much sooner but, we went out to eat after the doctor's office and then we started getting excited, and your mother decided that she wanted to go shopping  _right then._ "

Dylan smiled. "Obviously. And, boy, Mom, did you shop!"

Victoria smiled. "Not all of this is my choice. At least a bag worth is your dad's choices."

Dylan laughed. "I don't doubt it. Just one question: Where exactly are we supposed to put all of this?"

Adam and Victoria looked at each other.

"I knew that there was some factor that we were forgetting." Victoria said.

Dylan couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing, all of the day's apparently unnecessary stress coming out in it. He couldn't stop, even though he knew he probably looked like a maniac. It got worse when he noticed the flabbergasted look on most people's faces.

When at long last he stopped, breathless and with a hurting stomach, Jade approached him as though she wasn't certain he was mentally stable. "Feel better?"

He nodded, still trying to catch his breath. "Life… is going… to be… crazy interesting… around here,… you know it?"

Jade chuckled. "Yeah. I'm kind of getting that feeling."

"Anyway," Victoria spoke up. "Clothes. Um, I guess we can put them in the basement for right now."

Dylan nodded and followed his dad down to the cool, crowded "negative-one" level of their house. They dropped the bags onto a shelf.

Adam leaned against the shelf, asking, "So what do you think of all this?"

Dylan shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Everything is happening so fast, I kind of wish it would slow down, you know? But I'm okay." He grinned. "I've got a lot of great co-pilots to lean on."

"One in particular?"

Dylan's gaze drifted to his shoes. "Yeah."

"What do you think about the baby?"

Dylan shifted, accidentally knocking a bag off of the shelf. He crouched down to pick up the spilled items.

"I'm not sure yet. Might as well get used to it though, I don't see that I have any other choice."

He leaned back and looked absently at a sawhorse in front of him. His gaze was drawn to the concrete wall behind the sawhorse. He blinked at what he saw. A child's drawing - drawn on the wall- of a man, woman, boy, and baby. He squinted and leaned forward to get a better look. As he read the labels with arrows pointing to the people, "DAD", "MOM", "ME", and the bundle "ME" was holding, "MY BABY SISTER", the memory of drawing the picture assailed him.

He had been so proud of that drawing at the time, so thrilled to finally get a sibling. His mother, upon finding his art work, had been neither proud nor thrilled. He had been sorry about the drawing later, but staring at the drawing almost a decade later, his main focus was on the thrilling joy he had experienced upon finding out that he was months away from getting a sister - Emily.

He wanted that back - that unbridled joy and anticipation. He had it, only a little of it though. He hung back from caring too much, from getting to close. And Bethany wasn't even here yet. Because of "what if…".

He thought of Olivia, how in the confusion and fear of Monday morning, she had clung to him, and continued to do so. He cared about her. He thought of Jade's words about their fathers. He cared about all of the deputies, and about Jade. About everyone in the house. But there was a "what if…" with each person. What made Bethany any different from any of them?

Nothing.

If he refused this little girl a relationship with him, he would hurt not only her, but himself as well. His relationship with Emily hadn't been anything to brag about, he was ashamed of the way he had sometimes acted towards her, but to deny Bethany- and himself - another brother-sister relationship would be many times worse.

"Dylan,-" Adam never got any further in the sentence before a girl's scream split the air, accompanied by the sickening thuds of someone falling down the stairwell.

Dylan sprinted across the room and somehow managed to catch Olivia before she fell onto the concrete floor. Dylan stood up with her and ran his gaze over her head, arms, legs while she cried.

"Are you okay?" he asked over her tears.

She nodded.

"Okay." He rubbed her back while her tears quieted. "You're all right. It just scared you, didn't it? Yeah… It happens sometimes, but you're all right. Do you want to go back upstairs?"

She shook her head viciously. "I might fall again."

Dylan smiled at her. "We have chocolate cake upstairs. If you don't go back upstairs, you won't be able to get your fair share."

That was when he felt her gaze on him. He glanced up to meet Jade's gaze as Olivia nodded. That's when what he had just said, what it could be applied to, hit him.

When he had set Olivia on her feet at the top of the stairs, Jade said, "You're right, you know."

Dylan smiled at her. "I know I am."


	27. Chapter 27

The next morning Dylan was up at four again, but he didn't really mind. He had a special plan for the board today. First, he took all the dry erase markers and replicated the drawing that was on the basement wall on the bottom corner of the board. Then he took a pencil and a large roll of paper and went to work on the main part of his plan.

As he worked, he prayed, not forgetting to thank God for the great reception the Mitchell family had gotten from everyone the night before concerning the news of Bethany. They had been thrilled for the family. And his parents had liked and agreed to the name that he had chosen for his sister.

It had been a great evening. And if his drawing turned out like he wanted it to, it would be a good morning.

* * *

Jade froze the next morning when she saw the drawing that had been clipped to the dry erase board in lieu of the usual words. Actually on the board was a childish drawing that went almost unnoticed next to the splendor of the drawing on the paper.

It was an elaborate, detailed pencil drawing. A shoulders-up shot of Adam, Victoria, and Dylan, all looking at the baby in Victoria's arms. And smiling. A thought bubble came from each of the three looking at the baby. In each of those was a drawing illustrating their thoughts. They were each extraordinarily detailed, and Jade found that her breath actually caught, maybe from the bubbles' contents if nothing else.

Victoria's thought was a picture of a mother and a daughter - her and Bethany - in the Mitchell kitchen and Victoria was showing her how to make a pie - a peach one, judging by the fruit in the picture. Dylan's picture was of him and Bethany at the living room coffee table where he was helping her with her homework. Jade took a closer look at the television in the drawing and saw the crude figure of the Veggie Tales character Junior on the television. Jade couldn't help but smile at that. And Adam, Adam was dancing around the living room with his daughter in her pajamas, standing on his feet, beaming up at him.

And in the far corner of the drawing, going almost unnoticed, was an easily identified girl, lying on her stomach on a cloud, smiling down at the scene before her. Emily.

"What do you think?" Dylan asked, coming up behind her and putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Dylan… it's amazing. I had no idea you could do anything like that."

Dylan laughed. "Neither did I. It turned out much better than I had hoped it would. It was just supposed to be the four of us, but the thoughts and Emily came while I was drawing. And praying. It was weird. I got the idea for the thoughts, so I just started experimenting. And then Emily worked her way in there. I don't know. I think that maybe it was like Dad giving that Father's Day speech. It wasn't really me doing it. But it was. Does that make any sense?"

"I think so. Yeah." Jade nodded. "Yeah, it does."

* * *

The days passed quickly from there on out. Bobby left the Mitchell's house and moved to his own place. June faded into July and July into August. Still Dylan and Jade watched the kids while Victoria, Kayla, and Carmen traveled all across town, house hunting.

On the thirteenth, it was only a little past six when Nathan woke up. Listening, he heard some sort of commotion going on up the hallway. He figured it was Jade and Dylan, the insane kids, up all ready and doing whatever it was they did at this hour. But when he looked, he saw that the birthday girl, Jade, was still fast asleep.

So from pure curiosity, Nathan got up and went to investigate. He found Dylan hanging yellow, purple, and pink streamers in the open kitchen and dining room.

Nathan stood and watched the young man for a minute, going unnoticed, before he asked, "Do you want some help?"

Dylan whirled around with wide eyes to face him. "Oh, it's you. Um, sure."

Nathan smiled and took up a roll of streamers and scotch tape. "Who were you expecting?"

"I thought maybe Jade would come in and ruin the surprise before I was done with it."

"I see. So. What did you get her?"

Dylan groaned. "I need to talk to you about that."

Nathan's imagination hit overdrive instantly. "Why?"

"Well, Amanda recommended jewelry, so I got her a ring." He saw the look on Nathan's face and smiled, obviously despite himself. "Don't panic. It's a claddagh ring."

"What's that?"

Dylan took a deep breath. "The front of it is a crowned heart held in two hands. It's a friendship ring, I guess. If the end of the heart is pointing outward on your finger, the wearer is free for the taking. If it's pointing inward, it means that you're taken. That someone all ready has your heart. I thought that I should ask you if that was all right before I gave it to her."

Nathan worked in silence for a minute, thinking hard. Finally he said, "That would be fine."

He heard Dylan release his breath in a "woosh". "Thank you so much."

Nathan smiled at the young man, but he meant every word when he said, "Don't you dare make me regret it."

"Aren't you supposed to save that speech for her next birthday?"

If Nathan had still had his tonsils, he probably would have swallowed them. "Next year, huh?"

"I have plans." Dylan told him flippantly.

Nathan grimaced. "Thanks for the warning."

"My pleasure."

* * *

Amanda looked at Jade, beside her in the dining room later that morning, when she heard a deep sigh from Jade. She was looking down at the clothes she wore. Still Dylan's basketball shorts and T-shirts. Not appropriate birthday girl attire. Amanda didn't have time to give Jade her birthday present before she had to leave for work, so she retrieved it and pulled Dylan aside.

"I know that we weren't going to give Jade her presents until tonight, but I think that she could use this now. Can you give it to her once I leave?"

"Sure." Dylan took the offered gift.

Amanda nodded and grabbed her purse. "Thanks. I have to go. 'Bye, Olivia!"

Her daughter raced up to give her a hug and then Amanda headed out the door.

 


	28. Chapter 28

Dylan followed Olivia into the kitchen where Jade was loading dishes into the dish washer. For now it was only the three of them awake in the house.

"Amanda told me to give you this." Dylan informed Jade, taking a plate from Jade's hand and replacing it with the gift. "And what do you think you're doing?"

Jade glanced at the present before answering him. "Loading the dishwasher before the other kids wake up – like I always do."

"On your birthday?" Dylan objected. "Did the decorations not give you the hint that it was a special day?"

"Honestly," Jade confessed sheepishly. "I had forgotten until Dad reminded me."

"You  _forgot_ sweet sixteen? I thought that was a big deal for girls. That's just wrong. All right, you know what? Today is your day off. No dishes, no laundry, no cooking, nothing. Are we clear?"

Jade grinned at the young man before her. "Yes, sir, Corporal, sir!"

Dylan and Olivia took over the dishes and Jade hopped up to sit on the counter, ripping open the striped wrapping paper covering her gift. Dylan looked up at her when she gasped. A portion of sunflower yellow fabric shone through the wrapping. Dylan stood up straight and watched as Jade unfurled an A-line sundress from the packaging.

"It's so pretty!" she gasped. "I love it!"

Dylan smiled at her obvious delight. "Well, go put it on then."

"I can't wear this while I take care of the kids." She objected.

"But you're not taking care of the kids today, remember?"

"You want me to go change right now?"

"Yes, right now."

She laughed at him and jumped down off the counter, dashing into the bathroom to change. When she reemerged, she was grinning from ear to ear. She stopped in the middle of the kitchen and held the skirt of the dress out like a wingspan.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"You look like a princess!" Olivia informed her cheerfully.

"Why, thank you." Jade giggled like a school girl.

"Can I go play outside?" Olivia asked out of the blue.

"Yeah, sure." Dylan gave her permission and the bright-eyes imp darted outside.

He turned back to Jade when she whispered, "I had forgotten what it's like to feel pretty."

"Well, you are." Dylan informed her. "Dress or T-shirt. And, hey," Dylan grabbed the jewelry box that he had retrieved while she had been changing. "One more thing. This is my present to you."

He held it out to her and she took it, looking at him oddly. "Do you want me to open it now?" He nodded and she complied, gasping again when she saw the box's contents. "Isn't this a claddagh ring?" He nodded again. "And you know what these rings stand for?"

He smiled at her. "I do."

"Good." Jade slid the ring out of its box and onto her right hand, heart pointing towards her wrist, to symbolize the fact that she was in a relationship, that her heart had been "captured."

She grinned shyly up at Dylan through her eyelashes and he smiled right back. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and his smile widened.

"Third time is the charm." Dylan whispered hoarsely.

Isabel giggled from the doorway of the kitchen. Dylan and Jade both whipped around to look guiltily at her and Marcos.

"Now you have two rings." Isabel pointed out.

"Yeah." Jade looked down at her purity ring on her left hand, running her fingertips over the diamond-studded heart. "Yeah, I do."

* * *

Adam put his truck in park in his driveway, looking at Nathan sitting shotgun. "So, you ready to go see what they've gotten themselves into today?"

"That depends on what 'they' you're talking about."

A smile flitted around the corners of Adam's mouth. "Our teenagers."

"Aren't we waiting until tonight to give Jade her presents?" David asked from the back seat of the truck, having been informed by Nathan of the ring.

"I doubt that he would want to give it to her in front of everybody. I figure he's all ready done it sometime today." Adam informed the other deputies.

Nathan sighed and opened the door on his side of the truck. "Let's go see how much damage he's done to my little girl."

"Hey!" Adam objected, getting out as well. "I resent that!"

"And I resent what that ring is leading to."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I did a little research of my own on claddagh rings today."

"No," David corrected. "You had me do it for you and tell you what I found."

"Well, what did you find?" Adam asked.

Nathan answered, "Dylan said it was a friendship ring. And for his purposes it had better be. But it can also be an engagement or wedding ring."

"See, now what that is, is smart money management. He buys one ring and they use it for three purposes over the next, oh, seventy something years."

Nathan smiled. The thought didn't bother him as much as he made it seem like it did.

But three hundred and sixty-five days later, he would have a hard time reminding himself of that.


End file.
